Evaluating the Phobias, Attitudes, and Cultural Competence of Master of Social Work Students Toward the LGBT Populations

Abstract

More education and training is needed for MSW students to effectively serve the LGBT populations.

Examining Cohort Differences and Resilience among the Aging LGBT Community: Implications for Education and Practice among an Expansively Diverse Population

“…With this comes great emotional stress as LGBT individuals may struggle in silence, whether situational (i.e., unable to grieve the loss of a loved one), coping with traumatic events, or when incapable of sharing memories with others (Stein et al, 2010). Additionally, bearing such stress over time may increase the potential for risk behavior related to substance use, sexual health, and suicide ideation or attempt, among other factors (Elze, 2006;Logie, Bridge, & Bridge, 2007). Notably, many members of the LGBT community rely upon various circles of friends, allies, and families of "choice" or origin to provide elements of support throughout the grief or coping process.…”

“…Such assumptions of associated pathology are problematic and offer limited insight related to the many positive and affirming aging experiences of LGBT adults and other vulnerable communities (Logie et al, 2007;Fredricksen-Goldsen et al, 2010). This is clearly evidenced in earlier literature and research describing positive psychosocial functioning among older gay men and lesbians (Berger, 1984;Gray & Dressel, 1985;Berger & Kelly, 1986), with favorable feelings about aging (Whitford, 1997), appearance (Gray & Dressel, 1985), and sexuality (Pope & Schulz, 1990).…”

“…Such training may relate to maleto-female transsexuals' need for regular prostate exams or most female-to-male transsexuals' need for regular pap smears (Thompson, 2008). In the same regard, recent literature is just beginning to examine the effective preparedness of LGBT and non-LGBT undergraduate and graduate students within mental health professions, including social work (Logie et al, 2007;Bogo, 2010;Craig et al, 2014), to practice among the LGBT community and other minority populations.…”

Australian mental health professionals’ competencies for working with trans clients: a comparative study

“…Included in this diversity are a survey of 87 counselling students focused on preparedness for working with trans people (O'Hara, Dispenza, Brack & Blood, 2013), a survey of 384 clinical psychologists in regards to their competencies for working with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people (Johnson & Federman, 2014), and a survey of 173 Master of Social Work students examining phobias, attitudes, and competence in relation to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender populations (Logie, Bridge & Bridge, 2007).…”

“…These existing studies suggest that mental health professionals and students are less informed of trans issues than they are of lesbian, gay, and bisexual issues (Johnson & Federman, 2014), and displayed higher levels of discriminatory attitudes toward trans and bisexual populations than toward lesbian or gay populations (Logie, Bridge, & Bridge, 2007). Participants in previous research widely report having had little or no university training about working with trans people, with one study finding that 83.6% had experienced only a single class or lesson (Johnson & Federman, 2014), and another study arguing that counsellor programs do not adequately equip students for working with trans clients (O'Hara, Dispenza, Brack & Blood, 2013).…”