Yuanyuan Wang1,2, Amanda Wilson2, Zhishan Hu3, Li Lu4, Wengao Li5, Ke Peng6, Lijuan Wu7, Ying Xin8, Jack Drescher9,10, Jianjun Ou11, Runsen Chen12. 1. National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, and China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China. 2. Division of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester, UK. 3. State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China. 4. Team IETO, Bordeaux Population Health Research Center, UMR U1219, INSERM, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France. 5. Department of Psychiatry, Guangdong 999 Brain Hospital, Guangdong, China. 6. National Clinical Research Center for Cardiovascular Diseases, Shenzhen, Fuwai Hospital Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Shenzhen, China. 7. Department of Sociology, Peking University, Beijing, China. 8. Beijing LGBT Center, Beijing, China. 9. Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA. 10. Postdoctoral Program in Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis, New York University, New York, USA. 11. National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, and China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China. oujianjun@csu.edu.cn. 12. National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, and China National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, China. runsen.chen@psych.ox.ac.uk.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: This study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with counselling and psychotherapy service use among Chinese sexual minority populations. METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional study was performed using snowball sampling method, which led to the inclusion of 18,193 participants. Participants' sociodemographic background, clinical, and psychological data were gathered. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore any associated factors. RESULTS: There were 2007 participants who had used counselling and psychotherapy service out of the total population. Among those who had used psychotherapy services, 80.2% participants perceived discrimination, 1.1% reported that they had been refused treatment by a counsellor and/or psychotherapist, 1.6% had experienced verbal harassment, and 8.4% reported that their counsellor and/or psychotherapist lacked knowledge and experience in treating sexual minorities. In addition, regression analyses indicated that those who were divorced/widowed, had religious beliefs, and those who had experienced discrimination, verbal harassment, and rejection for treatment by health professionals all had an increased likelihood of utilising counselling and psychotherapy service. CONCLUSIONS: Service providers and policy makers in China should improve the quality and availability of counselling and psychotherapy services to address the mental health needs of sexual minority populations.
BACKGROUND: This study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with counselling and psychotherapy service use among Chinese sexual minority populations. METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional study was performed using snowball sampling method, which led to the inclusion of 18,193 participants. Participants' sociodemographic background, clinical, and psychological data were gathered. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore any associated factors. RESULTS: There were 2007 participants who had used counselling and psychotherapy service out of the total population. Among those who had used psychotherapy services, 80.2% participants perceived discrimination, 1.1% reported that they had been refused treatment by a counsellor and/or psychotherapist, 1.6% had experienced verbal harassment, and 8.4% reported that their counsellor and/or psychotherapist lacked knowledge and experience in treating sexual minorities. In addition, regression analyses indicated that those who were divorced/widowed, had religious beliefs, and those who had experienced discrimination, verbal harassment, and rejection for treatment by health professionals all had an increased likelihood of utilising counselling and psychotherapy service. CONCLUSIONS: Service providers and policy makers in China should improve the quality and availability of counselling and psychotherapy services to address the mental health needs of sexual minority populations.
Entities:
Keywords:
Chinese; Counselling; LGBT; Psychotherapy; Service use; Sexual minority