The response of mental health professionals to clients seeking help to change or redirect same-sex sexual orientation
The response of mental health professionals to clients seeking help to change or redirect same-sex sexual orientation
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DOI：
10.1186/1471-244x-9-11
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发表时间：
2009-03-26
期刊：
影响因子：
4.4
通讯作者：
King, Michael
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bartlett, Annie;Smith, Glenn;King, Michael
背景：我们对心理健康从业者对改变性取向治疗的看法知之甚少。我们的目的是调查一个有代表性的样本的主要英国心理治疗和精神病组织的专业成员，他们的意见和做法，关于这样的treatment.Methods：我们发送邮件的问题，精神卫生专业人士谁是英国心理学会的成员，英国心理咨询和心理治疗协会，英国理事会的心理治疗和皇家学院的精神科医生。参与者被要求给他们的意见，改变同性恋的欲望，并描述了多达五个病人，他们已经在这种方式治疗。结果：1848从业者接触，1406份问卷，1328可以分析。虽然只有55（4%）的治疗师报告说，他们会尝试改变客户的性取向，如果一个咨询要求这样的治疗，222（17%）报告说，已协助至少一个客户/病人，以减少或改变他或她的同性恋或女同性恋的感觉。这222名治疗师描述了413名患者：213名（52%）在私人诊所就诊，117名（28%）在治疗期后没有随访。咨询是提供的最常见的治疗（66%），近年来治疗没有下降的迹象。在222名曾提供此类治疗的治疗师中，有159名（72%）认为应向希望改变性取向的人提供服务。客户/病人的痛苦和客户/病人的自主权被视为干预的原因;治疗师注意宗教，文化和道德价值观造成内部confliction.Conclusion：一个显着的少数心理健康专业人士正试图帮助女同性恋，男同性恋和双性恋的客户成为异性恋。由于缺乏证据证明这些治疗的有效性，这可能是不明智的，甚至是有害的。
Background: we know very little about mental health practitioners' views on treatments to change sexual orientation. Our aim was to survey a representative sample of professional members of the main United Kingdom psychotherapy and psychiatric organisations about their views and practices concerning such treatments.Methods: We sent postal questions to mental health professionals who were members of British Psychological Society, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy and the Royal College of Psychiatrists. Participants were asked to give their views about treatments to change homosexual desires and describe up to five patients each, whom they has treated in this way.Results: Of 1848 practitioners contacted, 1406 questionnaires were returned and 1328 could be analysed. Although only 55 (4%) of therapists reported that they would attempt to change a client's sexual orientation if one consulted asking for such therapy, 222 (17%) reported having assisted at least one client/patient to reduce or change his or her homosexual or lesbian feelings. 413 patients were described by these 222 therapists: 213 (52%) were seen in private practice and 117 (28%) were not followed up beyond the period of treatment. Counselling was the commonest (66%) treatment offered and there was no sign of a decline in treatments in recent years. 159 (72%) of the 222 therapists who had provided such treatment considered that a service should be available for people who want to change their sexual orientation. Client/patient distress and client/patient autonomy were seen as reasons for intervention; therapists paid attention to religious, cultural and moral values causing internal conflict.Conclusion: A significant minority of mental health professionals are attempting to help lesbian, gay and bisexual clients to become heterosexual. Given lack of evidence for the efficacy of such treatments, this is likely to be unwise or even harmful.