Study sparks fears prejudice is to blame
BY DAVID CLEGG Political Editor GAY Scots are more likely to suffer from poor standard of general health, say researchers.
Lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) people are also more prone to long-term illness and mental health issues than heterosexuals.
The Scottish Surveys Core Questions (SSCQ) found only 64 per cent of the LGB community said they had good or very good general health compared with 73.8 per cent among hetereosexuals.
People in the LGB group were also more likely to have a long-term condition compared with the heterosexual group.
The also had a slightly lower mental wellbeing score, at 23.8 per cent compared with 24.4 per cent for heterosexuals.
The report also found smoking rates were higher in the LGB group, at 28.8 per cent, with heterosexuals at 19.2 per cent.
Equality campaigners last night claimed the discrepancies could be due to prejudice faced by members of the LGB community.
Tim Hopkins, of the Equality Network, said: “It’s no surprise to us that LGB people on average report poorer levels of health and mental wellbeing.
“The Government’s surveys cannot identify the reasons for this but we know from other research that LGB people still face significant prejudice and discrimination, which egatively affects mental wellbeing and health.”
Scottish Labour health spokesman Anas Sarwar said: “Labour have long made the case for the link between deprivation and ill health, but many may be suprised to see these figures for LGB people.”