Cultural Competence: Educating Psychiatrists on LGBTQ Issues

Cultural Competence: Educating Psychiatrists on LGBTQ Issues

Cultural competence means healthcare professionals understand those cultural influences that affect their ability to care for a culturally diverse group of patients.

Healthcare professionals are increasingly recognizing the complexities involved in delivering healthcare to a diverse population in terms of culture, gender and race. 

Concerns persist regarding unequal access to culturally appropriate mental health services among different ethnic, sexual and gender minority groups in the Bay Area. 

LGBTQ+ community faces unique challenges. Stereotyping, identity crises, and social alienation are a few to mention. Current legal, cultural, and environmental conditions add significant stress and stigma to a group already vulnerable to prejudice and discrimination, leading to greater health disparities as compared to the general population.
A culturally competent psychiatrist is able to recognize these challenges and offer solutions for handling such sensitive issues.  
The Effects of Educated Care

Informed care can change lives. It makes mental health more accessible to minorities, it makes it more relevant, and truly helpful to such communities. 
It is widely acknowledged that understanding cultural beliefs, values, and practices is essential for providing competent care, as it helps prevent misdiagnosis, inappropriate treatment, and low adherence to care plans. 

Understanding and practicing cultural competence with sexual and gender minority groups encompasses: 
i) acknowledging and addressing personal beliefs, prejudices, and attitudes toward LGBT communities; 
ii) acquiring knowledge and insight into LGBT communities, including the dynamics of counseling relationships and recognizing the impact of one's own sexual orientation and gender identity; 
iii) developing the necessary skills and resources to offer culturally sensitive support and interventions tailored to LGBT individuals.

Clinicians should understand societal factors like legal, religious, and regional differences, as well as personal contexts like internal and external prejudice, when working with LGBT clients.

Why Cultural Competence Matters
Studies show that sexual and gender minority individuals who openly disclose their sexual orientation experience notably fewer psychiatric symptoms compared to those who keep it undisclosed. Also, negative reactions to disclosing sexual orientation are linked to both current and future substance use (like alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana) and other health risks.
Some researchers suggest that minority stress experienced by sexual and gender minorities, compared to other minority groups, is partly due to the mismatch between their own minority status from their family of origin.
Research suggests that, LGBT populations are also more likely to report lifetime trauma, including childhood sexual abuse and experiences of bullying, teasing, and other forms of victimization.
For many LGBQ+  people, a mental health clinician may be the first person with whom they share their sexual or gender identity. Therefore, it's crucial to be sensitive and knowledgeable to help clients develop a way to disclose their identity that they can use with others in the future.
We advocate for cultural competence training amongst our clinicians to help them understand the diverse sociocultural context of being an LGBTQ+ individual across various communities in the United States.
 

Bridging Gaps with Empathy
Cultural competency is a bridge to better understand the circumstances of patients. This connection fosters trust. With trust patients can find it easier to share their struggles and seek solutions to those unique problems. They are less likely to avoid difficult topics and are more likely to work with their psychiatrist as a team for the best possible treatment outcome.  

Moving Forward

The lack of cultural competence in healthcare is widespread.
Cultural competence in psychiatry is necessary and very important, specifically for working with the LGBTQ+ community. A culturally competent mental health clinician for the LGBTQ+ community, is willing to meet the patient where they are at. Rather than simply acting as prescribers they are able to align themselves with the patients and be an advocate for them. Those psychiatrists who have been trained on LGBTQ+ issues are the ones who can help change societal perceptions towards members of the LGBTQ community. They can offer a safe space where every person feels valued and respected leading to the creation of a healing environment.