Out on Your Own An Examination of the Mental Health of Young Same-Sex Attracted Men Helen McNamee ISBN: 0-9552781-0-4 978-0-9552781-0-5 First Published March 2006 Published by The Rainbow Project 2-8 Commercial Court Belfast BT1 2NB Tel: 028 9031 9030 Fax: 028 9031 9031 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.rainbow-project.org Copyright © 2006 The Rainbow Project / Helen McNamee The Rainbow Project is a registered charity number NI30101 Acknowledgements This research would not have been possible without the contribution of the research participants. Thank you to all of those involved, including those who took part in the pilot of the questionnaire, those who completed the survey and those who gave up their time to take part in the interviews. The author would also like to thank the research steering group, Karen Beattie, Dominic McCanny, Katy Radford, Neil Jarman and Dermot Feenan. Particular thanks to Dirk Schubotz for his help with the statistical analysis. The guidance and advice provided throughout the completion of the report was hugely appreciated. In addition, the author would like to thank The Rainbow Project staff for their support on all aspects of the research. Special thanks to Gary McKeever who edited the final report. Finally, the author and The Rainbow Project would like to thank The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund for funding the research. Table of Contents Executive Summary 5 1. Introduction 9 2. Literature review: Mental health and young same-sex attracted men 11 3. Methodology 23 4. Findings of survey and face-to-face interviews 27 4.1 Introduction and profile of respondents and interviewees 27 4.2 Mental health 30 4.3 Feeling of difference and telling someone 40 4.4 Gay and at school 51 4.5 Difficulties at work related to sexual orientation 59 4.6 Society’s attitudes to people of a non-heterosexual orientation 63 4.7 Factors relating to negative reactions to sexual orientation and 68 unconnected factors on mental health, suicidal ideation and self-harm 4.8 How are the needs of young same-sex attracted men currently being met? 73 5.