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MBABANE – According to the Rock of Hope Eswatini Risk and Vulnerability Assessment report, almost 80 per cent of the LGBTQI+ population reported having mental health issues.

This was detailed in a status report for Psychosocial Support Modalities in Eswatini, under the Youth Excel project, where a great percentage of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQI+) members shared that they had mental health issues emanating from stigma and discrimination, gender-based violence and unemployment.

The Rock of Hope Eswatini, through the Rainbow Community Wellness, provides psychosocial support sessions by means of peer-to-peer counselling, one psychosocial support officers and government social workers to members of the LGBTQI+ community in the Manzini area.

The organisation identified members of the LGBTQI+ community on social networking sites and provided counselling online via messaging applications, voice conversations or actual sit-downs, depending on the client’s preference. It is through this exercise that the sampled members of the LGBTQI+ community shared the difficulties they faced on mental health issues.

Discrimination

In its mission, the Rock of Hope organisation said it was here to build a society in Eswatini that was free from the stigmatisation, discrimination and the oppression of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people (this also includes prisoners and sex workers who fall under the listed categories).

The organisation, through its activities, aims to create a strong and proud society of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in the entire Kingdom of Eswatini.

It was shared in the assessment that 33.7 per cent of the sampled clients battle with the crippling issues of unemployment that has a negative effect on their mental health. The vast majority of clients, which is 38.5 per cent, reported significant stigma and discrimination from homophobic members of their families and community.

Fear

Taking third place on the seriousness of mental health issues was gender-based violence.

“17.3 per cent of our clients reported being physically assaulted by other people in the community because of the gender they identify themselves with. Fear of ‘coming out’ to family and friends as an LGBTQI+ member affects 10.6 per cent of our clients. This paralysing fear to some affects their mental health and they, therefore, remain closeted,” reads the assessment in part.

The assessment report depicted that it was evident that the LGBTQI+ society had a greater number of individuals that required psychosocial and mental health support from providers due to complex situations. “According to our assessment, some LGBTQI+ members use drugs and alcohol to num their emotions or even endure abusive relationships. Several LGBTQI+ youth claim to have thought about harming themselves or taking their own lives,” depicts the report.

It should be noted that last month, the LGBTQI+s wanted the court to review and set aside the decision of the registrar of companies of refusing to register their association, Eswatini Sexual and Gender Minorities.