Kathmandu: Save the Children’s research report, Healing the Rainbow: Bridging Mental Health Gaps for LGBTQI+ Children and Youth in Nepal and Bhutan, reveals alarming levels of mental health challenges faced by LGBTQI+ children and youth in both countries. The research was launched at The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, and Intersex Association (ILGA) Asia Conference, happening in Kathmandu.
“This report is a wake-up call,”said Ayush Shrestha Joshi, Director of Advocacy for Save the Children—Nepal and Bhutan. “The research findings highlight that even within the LGBTQI+ space, lesbian, bisexual women, transgender men, and intersex individuals are often underrepresented and face additional marginalization within LGBTQI+ spaces, further limiting their access to mental health support.” Over 55 percent of LGBTQI+ youth in Nepal cited economic constraints as a primary reason for not accessing mental health care.
Total of 38.8 percent of respondents in Nepal and 25 percent in Bhutan reported experiencing discrimination from health practitioners due to their LGBTQI+ identity. “Many doctors don’t understand our issues and are unfamiliar with the LGBTQ community. When they don’t understand us, it feels like they are judging us. For some, the cost is also an issue, especially for middle-class people. Others are too shy or reluctant to go because they don’t want to reveal their identity.” Additionally, a majority of respondents shared that mental health professionals often lack training on LGBTQI+ identities, forcing young people to “educate” their therapists before receiving support.
According to the research, 42.7 percent of LGBTQI+ children and youth in Nepal and 76.7 percent in Bhutan reported experiencing anxiety or depression in the last two weeks. Moreover, more than two-thirds of LGBTQI+ youth in Nepal and Bhutan have never accessed formal mental health services due to stigma, discrimination, and a lack of LGBTQI+-affirming providers, and fear of breach of privacy and confidentiality. Transgender and non-binary youth in Nepal reported the highest mental health distress, citing societal prejudice and economic vulnerability as key stressors.
The research provides recommendations to review national mental health policies to integrate LGBTQI+ experiences and needs and to provide targeted LGBTQI+ affirming training to mental health practitioners to ensure stigma- and discrimination-free services. Furthermore, the research calls for expanding LGBTQI+ mental health services and ensuring economically viable solutions, such as community-based mental health services, peer-to-peer support networks, and telehealth options for rural LGBTQI+ youth.
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