- Conference
- 2024 National LGBT+ Conference
- Date
- 19 July 2024
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference knows that we have debated issues in relation to LGBT+ health and wellbeing on many occasions, including mental health, access to services, and training of healthcare workers on LGBT+ issues to name but a few. But sitting behind all of the disparities and health inequalities of our LGBT+ members are the fundamental social determinants of LGBT+ health and wellbeing. It is only through tackling these then we will start to make a difference.
Conference notes that the Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH) produced a comprehensive report titled ‘Examining the social determinants of LGBT+ health and wellbeing’ in May 2024. The report examined the fundamental drivers of health inequalities among LGBT+ groups within the UK. It considered individual groups within our LGBT+ community and the ways in which unmet public health needs are manifest at different life stages.
The report highlighted several key findings, including:
1)the negative impact of discrimination, intolerance, and microaggressions on the mental and physical health of LGBT+ individuals throughout our life;
2)significant mental health inequalities, including higher rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation;
3)higher rates of certain physical health issues and risk factors, such as smoking and alcohol use;
4)barriers to healthcare access and negative experiences within healthcare settings;
5)older LGBT+ individuals face unique health challenges, including social isolation and a lack of culturally competent care;
6)lack of comprehensive and reliable data on the LGBT+ population, which hampers the understanding of our health needs and the development of targeted interventions.
For our community these are big issues and to tackle them require impactful and resourced solutions. We also recognise that we alone can not address these issues but we have a vital role to play in making a difference.
Conference calls upon the national LGBT+ committee to:
A)Consider its role in advocating and campaigning to ensure that these issues are being recognised, challenged and tackled.
B)Work with other relevant parts of UNISON to raise awareness of these issues and gain support in challenging them.
C)Engage with other relevant external groups to address the social determinants of LGBT+ health and wellbeing.