Animations Promoting New Online LGBT Mental Health Campaign Released Today

Animations Promoting New Online LGBT Mental Health Campaign Released Today 

Thursday, 23 May 2013 

Joint Press Release by BeLonG To Youth Services and the Gay & Lesbian Equality Network. 

Today GLEN and BeLonG To Youth Service launch a new online resource www.lgbtmentalhealth.ie to promote positive mental health among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and among young LGBT people in particular.  

To launch the resource, 3 innovative short animations are being released to promote www.lgbtmentalhealth.ie and to highlight particular actions LGBT people can take that support their positive mental health. The first animation is launched today 

“Irish LGBT people continue to face significant risks to their mental health as a result of difficult experiences such as homophobic bullying in schools, harassment in their daily lives and challenges coming out,” said Odhrán Allen, Director of Mental Health at GLEN.  

“The online resource launched today, www.lgbtmentalhealth.ie, directly targets LGBT people with information on how to look after their mental health and highlights the services available if they feel they need additional support,” continued Allen.  

Irish research shows that many LGBT people, and young LGBT people in particular, are vulnerable to a range of mental health issues.  

“While it is encouraging to see LGBT youth groups opening all over the country, especially as we know these have valuable impact in terms of the peer support and resilience building, it is important to remember that not every young person is in the position to access these vital supports“, said David Carroll, Director of Services with BeLonG to Youth Service.  

“By making this resource available online, we are confident that the information will reach many young people who are unable to attend an LGBT youth group,” continued Carroll. 

The website signposts the most relevant supports and services across the country for LGBT people and is particularly accessible to young people to help them reach the support they may need. The 3 short animations focus on key messages shown to promote positive mental health:  

• Stress can affect how you’re feeling 
• We all need support and 
• Telling someone will help 

This new resource has been funded by the National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP). Gerry Raleigh, Director of NOSP, remarked, “This website will provide an easy to use directory of services, accessible to all, which will point them in the direction of the most appropriate services and supports available to help them overcome mental health difficulties they may be experiencing“. 

The first of the 30-second animations is launched today at 3.30pm, with the other two following in the coming days. Each will be promoted through a variety of online websites and social media platforms targeting the LGBT community. 

The online resources and the animations launched today are one of a number of actions BeLonG To Youth Service and GLEN are taking to promote LGBT mental health and to prevent LGBT suicide.  

“Our on-going work with GLEN & BeLonG To continues to offer an example of how such partnerships can be effective in developing and disseminating tailored mental health information & resources to groups who often experience specific marginalisation, such as the LGBT community,” concluded Mr Raleigh. 

The online resource is being launched to coincide with See Change’s Green Ribbon month that aims to get Irish people talking about mental health.