Beyondblue commits to GLBTI community

Beyondblue commits to GLBTI community

Beyondblue said it is committed to targeting depression and anxiety in the GLBTI community but said other sectors need to be involved in tackling the issues.
Following a recent beyondblue GLBTI roundtable involving representatives from national mental health, drug and alcohol, and suicide prevention strategies, beyondblue CEO Leonie Young told the Star beyondblue will put a focus on GLBTI depression and anxiety but an ‘all in’ approach is required.
“It’s not just beyondblue and I really want to stress that while we put the roundtable on to hear more and work in collaboration with the GLBT sector… it isn’t a one-agency response that’s required,” Young said.
“While we’re good to step up and provide the opportunity for the discussion, we’ll be expecting to work with all the other agencies as we go forward, so while I’m good to commit beyondblue to ‘x’ dollars over ‘x’ period of time… it really will take others.”
Young confirmed a figure of $2 million over 18 months as a “potential” amount the national depression initiative could throw into the area.
“We’re collaborating, we’re reviewing beyondblue’s own material, we’re identifying research priorities for 2010 and we’ll put funding to that,” she said.
Young said beyondblue has committed in the short term to meet with the LGBT Health Alliance in January to thrash out a more detailed strategy.
An awareness campaign for GLBTI health — and, later, a GLBTI mental health ambassador — has also been foreshadowed.
“[We’ll] look at the research again. From that research we need a multipronged, early intervention prevention model, particularly focused on young people living in rural communities. That was one of the priority areas that came out,” Young said.
LGBT Health Alliance CEO Gabi Rosenstreich told the Star she was “cautiously positive” the roundtable secured a way forward for GLBT mental health in Australia.
“I would say it’s a really positive sign that beyondblue does seem to be taking on the critiques that have been made from the LGBT community seriously and is responding,” Rosenstreich said.
“It will remain to be seen what develops out of that.
“We’ll be working together with our members and other community organisations to turn beyondblue’s commitments into reality.”

You May Also Like

5 responses to “Beyondblue commits to GLBTI community”

  1. Oh and Karl, seem the attempted suicide rate for GLB youth? Seen it for Transgender?

    Sorry but numbers not just in excess of 20% but even into the 30’s and for Transgender 40% are a disaster. An absolute disaster! That 40% stat was from 1991 and nothings been done. How many have died since then? Murder by negligence! Slaughter!

    And before you panic that this will stigmatise the community note the study at beyond blue (left up with no action for ages) show that for GLB youth the greatest peak is during the time they are coming to terms with their sexuality.. the rest likely coming from experiences of rejection and bigotry. If your worried how we will be treated and how people will perceive the community because of this argue for this fact about why the rate is so high to be plastered over our media.

    So that families who reject GLBT kids have it rubbed in their faces they may be signing the kids death warrent. By all means call for responsibility of the rest of society to be included in solving this problem.

    But be careful that your fear over how you might be perceived doesn’t lead you to oppose a vital rescue attempt to stop people dying… as that would put some of the blood on your hands too.

  2. The Australian Transgender Youth Attempted Suicide rate was IIRC 40%!

    They have spent far too long ignoring the shocking stats of TBLG suicide. For a long time the only thing they had on the site was the attempted suicide rates for Gay Lesbian Bisexual and uncertain/questioning youth. How many have died since they had the data that TBLG rates were way higher than the ctraight/cis population?

    On tv we get ads about farmers and depression. When will there be ads on rural tv about us?

  3. )This all smacks of PR and spin to me. What the hell does “potential” funding mean? And why are GLBTI groups jumping into bed with these people, for funding for themselves? Do they get something out of pathologising the community, like “look how sick we are, we need money”.

  4. I think having an Ambassador and Chairman of the Board likening us to child sex offenders, then winning against a vilification case as he had more money then other person, demonstrates Beyond Blue is just grabbing the extra cash that the Federal Government promised in return for denying us rights.

    Kevin Rudd and Beyond Blue are sick bastards in my view who create greater depression in our community. Of course this is just all my opinion from observing people in our community’s deep hatred of Both!