Medical views of conversion therapy

Last updated

Many health organizations around the world have denounced and criticized sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts. [1] [2] [3] National health organizations in the United States have announced that there has been no scientific demonstration of conversion therapy's efficacy in the last forty years. [4] [5] [6] [7] They find that conversion therapy is ineffective, risky and can be harmful. Anecdotal claims of cures are counterbalanced by assertions of harm, and the American Psychiatric Association, for example, cautions ethical practitioners under the Hippocratic oath to do no harm and to refrain from attempts at conversion therapy. [6]

Contents

Mainstream medical bodies state that conversion therapy can be harmful because it may exploit guilt and anxiety, thereby damaging self-esteem and leading to depression and even suicide. [8] There is also concern in the mental health community that the advancement of conversion therapy can cause social harm by disseminating inaccurate views about gender identity, sexual orientation, and the ability of LGBTQ people to lead happy, healthy lives. [2]

List of health organizations critical of conversion therapy

Major health organizations critical of conversion therapy include:

Multi-national health organizations

Australian health organizations

Canadian health organizations

Hong Kong health organizations

Indian health organizations

UK health organizations

US health organizations

APA taskforce study

The American Psychological Association undertook a study of the peer-reviewed literature in the area of sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE) and found myriad issues with the procedures used in conducting the research. The taskforce did find that some participants experienced a lessening of same sex attraction and arousal, but that these instances were "rare" and "uncommon". The taskforce concluded that, "given the limited amount of methodically sound research, claims that recent SOCE is effective are not supported". [40] Two issues with SOCE claims are that conversion therapists falsely assume that homosexuality is a mental disorder and that their research focuses almost exclusively on gay men and rarely includes lesbians. [41] [4] [42] [43] [2]

Other health organizations

Self-determination

The American Psychological Association's code of conduct states that "Psychologists respect the dignity and worth of all people, and the rights of individuals to privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination", but also that "Psychologists are aware that special safeguards may be necessary to protect the rights and welfare of persons or communities whose vulnerabilities impair autonomous decision making." [53] The American Counseling Association says that "it is of primary importance to respect a client's autonomy to request a referral for a service not offered by a counselor". [54] They said that no one should be forced to attempt to change their sexual orientation against their will, including children being forced by their parents. [55]

Supporters of SOCE focus on patient self-determination when discussing whether therapy should be available. Mark Yarhouse, of Pat Robertson's Regent University, wrote that "psychologists have an ethical responsibility to allow individuals to pursue treatment aimed at curbing experiences of same-sex attraction or modifying same-sex behaviors, not only because it affirms the client's rights to dignity, autonomy, and agency, as persons presumed capable of freely choosing among treatment modalities and behavior, but also because it demonstrates regard for diversity". [56] Yarhouse and Throckmorton, of the private Christian school Grove City College, argue that the procedure should be available out of respect for a patient's values system and because they find evidence that it can be effective. [57] Haldeman similarly argues for a client's right to access to therapy if requested from a fully informed position: "For some, religious identity is so important that it is more realistic to consider changing sexual orientation than abandoning one's religion of origin ... and if there are those who seek to resolve the conflict between sexual orientation and spirituality with conversion therapy, they must not be discouraged." [58]

In response to Yarhouse's paper, Jack Drescher argued that "any putative ethical obligation to refer a patient for reparative therapy is outweighed by a stronger ethical obligation to keep patients away from mental health practitioners who engage in questionable clinical practices". [59] Chuck Bright wrote that refusing to endorse a procedure that "has been deemed unethical and potentially harmful by most medical and nearly every professional psychotherapy regulating body cannot be justifiably identified as prohibiting client self-determination". [42] Some commentators, recommending a hard stand against the practice, have found therapy inconsistent with a psychologist's ethical duties because "it is more ethical to let a client continue to struggle honestly with her or his identity than to collude, even peripherally, with a practice that is discriminatory, oppressive, and ultimately ineffective in its own stated ends". [60] They argue that clients who request it do so out of social pressure and internalized homophobia, pointing to evidence that rates of depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse and suicidal feelings are roughly doubled in those who undergo therapy. [61]

Haldeman argues that, due to concern for people whose "spiritual or religious concerns" may assume priority over their sexual orientation, mental health organizations do not ban conversion therapy outright. [58]

Ethics guidelines

In 1998, the American Psychiatric Association issued a statement opposing any treatment which is based upon the assumption that homosexuality is a mental disorder or that a person should change their orientation, but did not have a formal position on other treatments that attempt to change a person's sexual orientation. In 2000, they augmented that statement by saying that as a general principle, a therapist should not determine the goal of treatment, but recommends that ethical practitioners refrain from attempts to change clients' sexual orientation until more research is available. [62]

The American Counseling Association has stated that they do not condone any training to educate and prepare a counselor to practice conversion therapy. Counselors who do offer training in conversion therapy must inform students that the techniques are unproven. They suggest counselors do not refer clients to a conversion therapist or to proceed cautiously once they know the counselor fully informs clients of the unproven nature of the treatment and the potential risks. However, "it is of primary importance to respect a client's autonomy to request a referral for a service not offered by a counselor". A counselor performing conversion therapy must provide complete information about the treatment, offer referrals to gay-affirmative counselors, discuss the right of clients, understand the client's request within a cultural context, and only practice within their level of expertise. [54]

In 2012 the British Psychological Society issued a position statement opposing any treatments that are based on an assumption that non-heterosexual orientations are pathological. [63]

A 2013 article by the Committee on Adolescence of the American Academy of Pediatrics stated "Referral for 'conversion' or 'reparative therapy' is never indicated; therapy is not effective and may be harmful to LGBTQ individuals by increasing internalized stigma, distress, and depression." [64] [65]

In 2014, the American Association of Christian Counselors amended its code of ethics to eliminate the promotion of conversion therapy for homosexuals and encouraged them to be celibate instead. [66] An article in the American Medical Association's Journal of Ethics argues that if a pediatrician learns that parents of a 12-year-old patient seek conversion therapy, the pediatrician can advise against "the ineffective and potentially harmful intervention" while being culturally sensitive of their religious objections to homosexuality. The authors argue that the doctor's medical ethics means they should place the interests of the patient above the cultural sensitivities of the parents, and confidentially counsel the patient about resources for LGBT youth facing bullying, and advise the parents about resources for parents of LGBT children. [67] In 2014, major therapy professional bodies in the United Kingdom issued a joint consensus statement opposing conversion therapy. Professional bodies supporting the statement included the UK Council for Psychotherapy, the British Psychoanalytic Council, the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the British Psychological Society and the National Counselling Society. [68]

In 2015, the APA and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration collaborated on a report stating "conversion therapy—efforts to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression—is a practice that is not supported by credible evidence and has been disavowed by behavioral health experts and associations. Conversion therapy perpetuates outdated views of gender roles and identities as well as the negative stereotype that being a sexual or gender minority or identifying as LGBTQ is an abnormal aspect of human development. Most importantly, it may put young people at risk of serious harm." [69]

In 2015, with support of the UK Government's Department of Health, a wide range of UK organisations signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) setting out an agreed framework for activities by parties concerned to help address the issues raised by the practice of conversion therapy in the UK. In addition to many of the professional bodies that previously issued the consensus statement, signatories included the UK Association of Christian Counsellors, the Royal College of General Practitioners, NHS England and NHS Scotland. The signatory organisations recognised a shared commitment to protecting the public from the risks of conversion therapy. They committed to raise awareness among healthcare professionals and psychological therapists of ethical issues involved in conversion therapy and to provide training to enable therapists to support clients in distress in an appropriate way. [70]

In 2018, the APA reaffirmed its recommendation that ethical practitioners refrain from attempting to change their patient's sexual orientation and recommended they also respect the identities of those with diverse gender expressions. It encourages psychotherapies which affirm individuals' sexual orientations and gender identities and "encourages legislation which would prohibit the practice of "reparative" or conversion therapies that are based on the a priori assumption that diverse sexual orientations and gender identities are mentally ill." [71]

International medical views

The World Health Organization's ICD-10, which along with the DSM-IV is widely used internationally, states that "sexual orientation by itself is not to be regarded as a disorder". It lists ego-dystonic sexual orientation as a disorder instead, which it defines as occurring where "the gender identity or sexual preference (heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or prepubertal) is not in doubt, but the individual wishes it were different because of associated psychological and behavioural disorders, and may seek treatment in order to change it". [72]

In 2012, the Pan American Health Organization (the North and South American branch of the World Health Organization) released a statement cautioning against services that purport to "cure" people with non-heterosexual sexual orientations as they lack medical justification and represent a serious threat to the health and well-being of affected people, and noted that the global scientific and professional consensus is that homosexuality is a normal and natural variation of human sexuality and cannot be regarded as a pathological condition. The Pan American Health Organization further called on governments, academic institutions, professional associations and the media to expose these practices and to promote respect for diversity. The World Health Organization affiliate further noted that gay minors have sometimes been forced to attend these "therapies" involuntarily, being deprived of their liberty and sometimes kept in isolation for several months, and that these findings were reported by several United Nations bodies. Additionally, the Pan American Health Organization recommended that such practices be denounced and subject to sanctions and penalties under national legislation, as they constitute a violation of the ethical principles of health care and violate human rights that are protected by international and regional agreements. [73]

The development of theoretical models of sexual orientation in countries outside the United States that have established mental health professions often follows the history within the U.S. (although often at a slower pace), shifting from pathological to non-pathological conceptions of homosexuality. [74] [ need quotation to verify ]

Australia

Major medical and psychological bodies in Australia uniformly prohibit conversion therapy practices, [20] [18] with published statements having come from peak bodies representing psychologists, [17] psychiatrists, [22] [23] and medical practitioners. [15] [16] In a statement issued jointly with the College of Psychiatrists, [21] Royal Australasian College of Physicians President Catherine Yelland summarised the view of the Australian medical community: "[g]ay conversion therapy is unethical, harmful and not supported by medical evidence." [20] The approaches taken by peak medical bodies is exemplified by the 2015 Australian Psychological Society Position Statement, which declares (emphasis in original) that the:

"APS strongly opposes any approach to psychological practice or research that treats lesbians, gay men, and bisexual people as disordered. The APS also strongly opposes any approach to psychological practice or research that attempts to change an individual's sexual orientation." [17]

The Position Statement supports this position by reference to the Society's Code of Ethics, which were adopted in 2007 [75] and mandated as the Code of Ethics for Australian psychologists in 2010 by the Psychology Board of Australia. [76] [77] Under the Code, psychologists are required to "avoid discriminating unfairly against people on the basis of age, religion, sexuality, ethnicity, gender, disability, or any other basis proscribed by law" and mandates that they

"(a) communicate respect for other people through their actions and language;
(b) do not behave in a manner that, having regard to the context, may reasonably be perceived as coercive or demeaning;
(c) respect the legal rights and moral rights of others; and
(d) do not denigrate the character of people by engaging in conduct that demeans them as persons, or defames, or harasses them." [75]

The Position Statement explicitly states that this ethical "requirement not to discriminate and to respect clients' moral rights does not equate to a justification to treat homosexuality or bisexuality as a disorder requiring treatment," [17] relying on the Code of Ethics' section on propriety: "psychologists only provide psychological services within the boundaries of their professional competence [which] includes but is not restricted to ... basing their service on established knowledge of the discipline and profession of psychology". [75] Regarding the knowledge base relating to conversion therapy, the statement is unequivocal (emphasis in original): [17]

"There is no peer-reviewed empirical psychological research objectively documenting the ability to 'change' an individual's sexual orientation. Furthermore, there is no peer-reviewed empirical psychological research demonstrating that homosexuality or bisexuality constitutes a disorder. In addition to the lack of empirical support for the claim that sexual orientation can be changed, empirical evidence indicates that attempts at changing sexual orientation can be harmful."

The Society's position concludes by noting that it "is, of course, appropriate for psychologists to provide clinical services to clients who experience distress in regards to their sexual orientation ... [but this practice] should seek to understand the reasons for distress and how it may be alleviated. Evidence-based strategies to alleviate distress do not include attempts at changing sexual orientation, but could include challenging negative stereotypes, seeking social support, and self-acceptance, among others." [17]

Related Research Articles

Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. Methods that have been used to this end include forms of brain surgery, surgical or hormonal castration, aversive treatments such as electric shocks, nausea-inducing drugs, hypnosis, counseling, spiritual interventions, visualization, psychoanalysis, and masturbatory reconditioning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Psychological Association</span> Scientific and professional organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C.

The American Psychological Association (APA) is the largest scientific and professional organization of psychologists in the United States, with over 146,000 members, including scientists, educators, clinicians, consultants, and students. It has 54 divisions—interest groups for different subspecialties of psychology or topical areas. The APA has an annual budget of around $125 million.

Gender dysphoria (GD) is the distress a person experiences due to a mismatch between their gender identity—their personal sense of their own gender—and their sex assigned at birth. The diagnostic label gender identity disorder (GID) was used until 2013 with the release of the diagnostic manual DSM-5. The condition was renamed to remove the stigma associated with the term disorder.

The National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), also known as the NARTH Institute, is a US organization that promotes conversion therapy, a pseudoscientific practice used in attempts to change the sexual orientation of people with same-sex attraction. NARTH was founded in 1992 by Joseph Nicolosi, Benjamin Kaufman, and Charles Socarides. Its headquarters were in Encino, California, at its Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic. It has operated under the name Alliance for Therapeutic Choice and Scientific Integrity (ATCSI) since 2014. NARTH is not recognized by any major United States-based professional association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homosexuality and psychology</span> Homosexuality as viewed by the field of psychology

The field of psychology has extensively studied homosexuality as a human sexual orientation. The American Psychiatric Association listed homosexuality in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1952, but that classification came under scrutiny in research funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. That research and subsequent studies consistently failed to produce any empirical or scientific basis for regarding homosexuality as anything other than a natural and normal sexual orientation that is a healthy and positive expression of human sexuality. As a result of this scientific research, the American Psychiatric Association declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder in 1973. Upon a thorough review of the scientific data, the American Psychological Association followed in 1975 and also called on all mental health professionals to take the lead in "removing the stigma of mental illness that has long been associated" with homosexuality. In 1993, the National Association of Social Workers adopted the same position as the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association, in recognition of scientific evidence. The World Health Organization, which listed homosexuality in the ICD-9 in 1977, removed homosexuality from the ICD-10 which was endorsed by the 43rd World Health Assembly on 17 May 1990.

The ex-gay movement consists of people and organizations that encourage people to refrain from entering or pursuing same-sex relationships, to eliminate homosexual desires and to develop heterosexual desires, or to enter into a heterosexual relationship. Beginning with the founding of Love In Action and Exodus International in the mid-1970s, the movement saw rapid growth in the 1980s and 1990s before declining in the 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Nicolosi</span> American clinical psychologist

Joseph Nicolosi was an American clinical psychologist who advocated and practised "reparative therapy", a form of the allegedly pseudoscientific treatment of conversion therapy that he argued could help people overcome or mitigate their homosexual desires and replace them with heterosexual ones. Nicolosi was a founder and president of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH). Some medical institutions warn that conversion therapy is ineffective and may be harmful, and that there is no evidence that sexual orientation can be changed by such treatments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LGBT rights in Canada</span>

Canadian lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights are some of the most extensive in the world. Same-sex sexual activity was made lawful in Canada on June 27, 1969, when the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1968–69 was brought into force upon royal assent. In a landmark decision in 1995, Egan v Canada, the Supreme Court of Canada held that sexual orientation is constitutionally protected under the equality clause of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In 2005, Canada was the fourth country in the world, and the first in the Americas, to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide.

Ex-ex-gay people are those who formerly participated in the ex-gay movement in an attempt to change their sexual orientation to heterosexual, but who then later went on to publicly state they had a non-heterosexual sexual orientation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Homosexuality</span> Romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender

Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to people of the same sex. It "also refers to a person's sense of identity based on those attractions, related behaviors, and membership in a community of others who share those attractions."

Gender dysphoria in children (GD), also known as gender incongruence of childhood, is a formal diagnosis for children who experience significant discontent due to a mismatch between their assigned sex and gender identity. The diagnostic label gender identity disorder in children (GIDC) was used by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) until it was renamed gender dysphoria in children in 2013 with the release of the DSM-5. The diagnosis was renamed to remove the stigma associated with the term disorder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ego-dystonic sexual orientation</span>

Ego-dystonic sexual orientation is a highly controversial mental health diagnosis that was included in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) from 1980 to 1987 and in the World Health Organization's (WHO) International Classification of Diseases (ICD) from 1990 to 2019. Individuals could be diagnosed with ego-dystonic sexual orientation if their sexual orientation or attractions were at odds with their idealized self-image, causing anxiety and a desire to change their orientation or become more comfortable with it. It describes not innate sexual orientation itself, but a conflict between the sexual orientation a person wishes to have and their actual sexual orientation.

Brothers on a Road Less Traveled is an American nonprofit organization supporting men who wish to reduce or eliminate their homosexual desires. Formerly known as People Can Change (PCC), the organization was founded in 2000.

Watchmen on the Walls is an international evangelical ministry based in Riga, Latvia. It describes itself as "the international Christian movement that unites Christian leaders, Christian and social organizations and aims to protect Christian morals and values in society." According to a Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) Intelligence report the group's name derives from the Old Testament book of Nehemiah, in which the "watchmen" guard the reconstruction of Jerusalem. "The cities they guard over today, say the contemporary Watchmen, are being destroyed by homosexuality."

Gay affirmative psychotherapy is a form of psychotherapy for non-heterosexual people, specifically gay and lesbian clients, which focuses on client comfort in working towards authenticity and self-acceptance regarding sexual orientation, and does not attempt to "change" them to heterosexual, or to "eliminate or diminish" same-sex "desires and behaviors". The American Psychological Association (APA) offers guidelines and materials for gay affirmative psychotherapy. Affirmative psychotherapy affirms that homosexuality or bisexuality is not a mental disorder, in accordance with global scientific consensus. In fact, embracing and affirming gay identity can be a key component to recovery from other mental illnesses or substance abuse. Clients whose religious beliefs are interpreted as teaching against homosexual behavior may require some other method of integration of their possibly conflicting religious and sexual selves.

Sexual Identity Therapy (SIT) is a framework to "aid mental health practitioners in helping people arrive at a healthy and personally acceptable resolution of sexual identity and value conflicts." It was invented by Warren Throckmorton and Mark Yarhouse, professors at small conservative evangelical colleges. It has been endorsed by former American Psychological Association president Nick Cummings, psychiatrist Robert Spitzer, and the provost of Wheaton College, Stanton Jones. Sexual identity therapy puts the emphasis on how the client wants to live, identifies the core beliefs and helps the client live according to those beliefs. The creators state that their recommendations "are not sexual reorientation therapy protocols in disguise," but that they "help clients pursue lives they value." They say clients "have high levels of satisfaction with this approach". It is presented as an alternative to both sexual orientation change efforts and gay affirmative psychotherapy.

Kenneth J. Zucker is an American-Canadian psychologist and sexologist. He was named editor-in-chief of Archives of Sexual Behavior in 2001. He was psychologist-in-chief at Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and head of its Gender Identity Service until its closure in December 2015. Zucker is a professor in the departments of psychiatry and psychology at the University of Toronto.

Jack Drescher is an American psychiatrist and psychoanalyst known for his work on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Sexual fluidity is one or more changes in sexuality or sexual identity. Sexual orientation is stable and unchanging for the vast majority of people, but some research indicates that some people may experience change in their sexual orientation, and this is slightly more likely for women than for men. There is no scientific evidence that sexual orientation can be changed through psychotherapy. Sexual identity can change throughout an individual's life, and may or may not align with biological sex, sexual behavior or actual sexual orientation.

The history of conversion therapy can be divided broadly into three periods: an early Freudian period; a period of mainstream approval of conversion therapy, when the mental health establishment became the "primary superintendent" of sexuality; and a post-Stonewall period where the mainstream medical profession disavowed conversion therapy.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Health and Medical Organization Statements on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity/Expression and 'Reparative Therapy'". lambdalegal.org. Lambda Legal.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Policy and Position Statements on Conversion Therapy". Human Rights Campaign. Human Rights Campaign. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Conversion Therapy: Consensus Statement" (PDF). bps.org.uk. UK Council for Psychotherapy. p. 2. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 Just the Facts About Sexual Orientation & Youth: A Primer for Principals, Educators and School Personnel (PDF), Just the Facts Coalition, 1999, retrieved 14 May 2010
  5. ↑ "Answers to Your Questions: For a Better Understanding of Sexual Orientation and Homosexuality". American Psychological Association. 2008. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Therapies Focused on Attempts to Change Sexual Orientation". Psych.org. Archived from the original on 10 September 2008. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  7. ↑ APA Maintains Reparative Therapy Not Effective, Psychiatric News (news division of the American Psychiatric Association), 15 January 1999, retrieved 28 August 2007
  8. ↑ Luo, Michael (12 February 2007), "Some Tormented by Homosexuality Look to a Controversial Therapy", The New York Times, p. 1, retrieved 28 August 2007
  9. ↑ Bhugra, Dinesh; Eckstrand, Kristen; Levounis, Petros; Kar, Anindya; Javate, Kenneth R. (22 September 2016). "WPA Position Statement on Gender Identity and Same-Sex Orientation, Attraction and Behaviours". World Psychiatry. 15 (3): 299–300. doi:10.1002/wps.20340. PMC   5032493 . PMID   27717266. (1)The WPA holds the view that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals are and should be regarded as valued members of society, who have exactly the same rights and responsibilities as all other citizens. This includes equal access to health care and the rights and responsibilities that go along with living in a civilized society. (2) The WPA recognizes the universality of same‐sex expression, across cultures. It holds the position that a same‐sex sexual orientation per se does not imply objective psychological dysfunction or impairment in judgement, stability or vocational capabilities. (3) The WPA considers same‐sex attraction, orientation and behaviour as normal variants of human sexuality. It recognizes the multi‐factorial causation of human sexuality, orientation, behaviour and lifestyle. It acknowledges the lack of scientific efficacy of treatments that attempt to change sexual orientation and highlights the harm and adverse effects of such "therapies". (4) The WPA acknowledges the social stigma and consequent discrimination of people with same‐sex sexual orientation and transgender gender identity. It recognizes that the difficulties they face are a significant cause of their distress and calls for the provision of adequate mental health support.(5) The WPA supports the need to de‐criminalize same‐sex sexual orientation and behaviour and transgender gender identity, and to recognize LGBT rights to include human, civil and political rights. It also supports anti‐bullying legislation; anti‐discrimination student, employment and housing laws; immigration equality; equal age of consent laws; and hate crime laws providing enhanced criminal penalties for prejudice‐motivated violence against LGBT people. (6) The WPA emphasizes the need for research on and the development of evidence‐based medical and social interventions that support the mental health of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals.
  10. ↑ Lace-Evans, Olivia (30 March 2016). "Global health group takes on gay conversion therapy". BBC News. British Broadcasting Company.
  11. ↑ World Medical Association (October 2013), "WMA Statement on Natural Variations of Human Sexuality", 64th General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil
  12. ↑ World Medical Association (October 2015), "WMA Statement on Transgender People", 66th WMA General Assembly, Moscow, Russia
  13. ↑ "'Therapies' to change sexual orientation lack medical justification and threaten health". paho.org. Pan American Health Organization of the World Health Organization.
  14. ↑ Powell, Lois; Hein, Laura. "Position Statement on Reparative Therapy" (PDF). ispn-psych.org. International Society of Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurses. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 May 2017. In fact 'reparative or conversion therapies' have not supported authentic change in sexual orientation itself. ... There is no conclusive evidence that 'reparative therapy' is beneficial to patients. ... Harmful sequelae of reparative therapy reported in the literature include anxiety, depression, avoidance of intimacy, sexual dysfunction, PTSD, loss of self-confidence and self-efficacy, shame/guilt, self-destructive behavior, and suicidality.
  15. 1 2 Australian Medical Association (21 June 2007). "AMA Position Statement – Sexual Diversity and Gender Identity (2002): A submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission Inquiry "Same-Sex: Same Entitlements"". Australian Human Rights Commission. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2018. The AMA opposes the use of "reparative" or "conversion" therapy that is based upon the assumption that homosexuality is a mental disorder and that the patient should change his or her sexual orientation.
  16. 1 2 Australian Medical Association (20 May 2017). "AMA Position Statement – Marriage Equality". Archived from the original on 6 July 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2018. There are real and significant mental and physiological health impacts arising from structural discrimination, and the AMA supports moves to eliminate it in all of its forms. All Australian doctors should offer sensitive, non-discriminatory care to all of their patients, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Australian Psychological Society (2015). "APS Position Statement on the use of psychological practices that attempt to change sexual orientation" (PDF). Australian Psychological Society. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018. [emphasis from original removed] APS strongly opposes any approach to psychological practice or research that treats lesbians, gay men, and bisexual people as disordered. The APS also strongly opposes any approach to psychological practice or research that attempts to change an individual's sexual orientation.
    There is no peer-reviewed empirical psychological research objectively documenting the ability to 'change' an individual's sexual orientation. Furthermore, there is no peer-reviewed empirical psychological research demonstrating that homosexuality or bisexuality constitutes a disorder. In addition to the lack of empirical support for the claim that sexual orientation can be changed, empirical evidence indicates that attempts at changing sexual orientation can be harmful.
  18. 1 2 Rosenstreich, Gabi (2013). LGBTI People: Mental Health and Suicide (PDF) (2nd ed.). Sydney: National LGBTI Health Alliance. p. 10. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 April 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2018. Experiences of LGBTI people include violence, refusal or reluctance to treat or if treating to acknowledge a health concern directly related to their sexual orientation, gender identity or intersex status. They also include homophobic and transphobic treatment paradigms, for example, pathologising LGBTI identity as a symptom of mental ill-health and using conversion therapies for same-sex attracted people (also known as reparative therapy). This practice claims to change sexual orientation and has been condemned the Australian Psychological Society and numerous other Australian and international professional associations as not only not working (as it is based on false premises) but also as unethical and harmful to the wellbeing of those who undergo it.
  19. ↑ Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (2016). "SG16 – Sex, sexuality, gender diversity and health contextual unit". Archived from the original on 23 April 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2018. [G]eneral practitioners (GPs) [must] have a good understanding of the diversity of sex, sexuality and gender in Australia, and to approach every individual in a holistic and non-judgemental way, minimise discrimination and obstacles to care access, and optimise the quality of healthcare that they provide. The title of this contextual unit is intentionally broad to encompass individuals who may identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer (LGBTIQ), asexual, pansexual, those who do not identify with any particular gender or sexual orientation, and those who prefer not to be categorised. The purpose of this unit is to challenge the 'binary' approach to provision of healthcare by GPs, in which assumptions and judgements are made about an individual's sex, sexuality and/or gender based on appearances and/or what is considered by the individual GP to be 'normal.' This approach is essentially flawed and typically impacts the quality of care that can be provided. ... GPs have an important role to play in advocating to reduce discrimination and in creating meaningful therapeutic relationships with LGBTIQ individuals to improve healthcare access. The establishment of high-quality therapeutic relationships and delivery of quality care to these individuals draws on the core skills in The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners' (RACGP's) 2016 curriculum.
  20. 1 2 3 Medhora, Shalailah (21 September 2017). "'Ludicrous practice' of gay conversion therapy to be scrutinised". Hack, Triple J . Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 22 September 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2018. Medical groups like the Australian Medical Association and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians have slammed gay conversion therapy.
  21. 1 2 Bell, Melissah; Costiga, Genevieve (18 September 2017). "Doctors criticise gay conversion therapy remarks in marriage equality debate" (PDF) (Press release). Royal Australasian College of Physicians jointly with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018.
  22. 1 2 Committee for Therapeutic Interventions and Evidence-Based Practice, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (June 2015). "Position Statement 60 – Sexual orientation change efforts". Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018. The harm such therapies can cause to individuals, the contribution they make to the misrepresentation of homosexuality as a mental disorder, and the prejudice and discrimination that can flourish through the use of such therapies has led all major medical organisations to oppose the use of sexual orientation change efforts.
    Recommendations
    * The RANZCP does not support the use of sexual orientation change efforts of any kind
    * Mental health workers must avoid misrepresenting the efficacy of sexual orientation change efforts when providing assistance to people distressed by their own or others' sexual orientation
    * Mental health workers should assist people distressed by their sexual orientation by care and treatment approaches that involve acceptance, support, and identity exploration. These should aim to reduce the stigma associated with homosexuality and respect the person's religious beliefs.
  23. 1 2 Board, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (March 2016). "Position Statement 83 – Recognising and addressing the mental health needs of people identifying as LGBTI". Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. Archived from the original on 1 October 2017. Retrieved 17 March 2018. [S]exual orientation change efforts, or often non-consensual therapies intended to change the sexual orientation of a person, are now broadly understood to be harmful and unethical
  24. ↑ "CPA Policy Statement on Conversion/Reparative Therapy for Sexual Orientation" (PDF). cpa.ca. Canadian Psychological Association. 2015.
  25. ↑ "Questions and Answers: Sexual Orientation in Schools – What do we know?". canada.ca. Government of Canada. 7 March 2014. A student's sexual orientation is not a 'lifestyle' choice and under no circumstances should a student be counselled to change or attempt to 'repair' their sexual orientation. These kinds of 'conversion' or 'reparative' therapies have been criticized and discouraged by the American Psychological Association and by many teacher associations across Canada. Clinical research has demonstrated that these approaches are largely ineffective, ignore the impact of social stigmatization on mental health, and in some cases, can be extremely dangerous, particularly for vulnerable youth. Instead of attempting to change a student's sexual orientation, educators, administrators, and health care professionals should focus on helping the youth and their family to develop active coping mechanisms to address issues related to internalized homophobia, stigma, prejudice and discrimination.
  26. ↑ "News on Announcement from Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists". 18 January 2012.
  27. ↑ "Position Paper for Psychologists Working with Lesbians, Gays, and Bisexual (LGB) Individuals" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 January 2014. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
  28. ↑ Kumar, Suresh (February 22, 2022). "National Medical Commission forbids conversion therapy". The Times of India. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  29. ↑ Rana, Ratika (2022-02-23). "Conversion Therapy To 'Cure' LGBTQIA Persons Banned In India, Says Medical Council". thelogicalindian.com. Retrieved 2022-03-29.
  30. ↑ Correspondent, Special (2018-07-12). "Homosexuality not an illness: Indian Psychiatric Society". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  31. ↑ "IPS Position Statement Regarding LGBTQ | Indian Psychiatric Society". indianpsychiatricsociety.org. Archived from the original on 2020-09-06. Retrieved 2023-04-05.
  32. ↑ Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists (21 May 2020), Official Standing of IACP regarding ‘conversion therapy’ and approach towards lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons (LGBTQIA+). (PDF), Chandigarh, India
  33. ↑ Association of Psychiatric Social Work Professionals (18 May 2020), Position Statement of APSWP Condemning Conversion Treatments (PDF) (Position Statement), Bangalore, India
  34. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Memorandum of Understanding on Conversion Therapy in the UK" (PDF). bacp.co.uk. British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. September 2021.
  35. ↑ American Medical Association policy regarding sexual orientation, American Medical Association, 11 July 2007, archived from the original on 19 October 2013, retrieved 30 July 2007
  36. ↑ McGeorge, Christi R.; Carlson, Thomas Stone; Toomey, Russell B. (2015). "An Exploration of Family Therapists' Beliefs about the Ethics of Conversion Therapy: The Influence of Negative Beliefs and Clinical Competence With Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients". Journal of Marital and Family Therapy. 41 (1): 42–56. doi:10.1111/jmft.12040. ISSN   0194-472X. PMID   24750074.
  37. ↑ Committee on Adolescence (1993), "Homosexuality and Adolesence" (PDF), Pediatrics, 92 (4): 631–634, doi:10.1542/peds.92.4.631, S2CID   245205269 , retrieved 28 August 2007
  38. ↑ Physician Assistants vote on retail clinics, reparative therapy, SpiritIndia.com, archived from the original on 1 July 2007, retrieved 28 August 2007
  39. ↑ "Position on Sexual Orientation and Reparative Therapy". aasect.org. American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  40. ↑ "Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation" (PDF). American Psychological Association. p. 2. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  41. ↑ Haldeman, Douglas C. (December 1999). "The Pseudo-science of Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy" (PDF). Angles: The Policy Journal of the Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies. 4 (1): 1–4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 January 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2018. Conversion therapy can be harmful.
  42. 1 2 Bright 2004 , pp. 471–481
  43. ↑ Attempts To Change Sexual Orientation, University of California, Davis Department of Psychology, retrieved 28 August 2007
  44. ↑ Savage, Rachel (18 May 2020). "Albania psychologists barred from conducting gay 'conversion therapy'". Reuters. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  45. ↑ "Resolução CFP 01/1999" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 November 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  46. ↑ "Posición del Colegio de Psicólogos de Chile acerca de las terapias reparativas para curar la homosexualidad" (PDF) (in Spanish). Colegio de Psicólogos de Chile. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  47. ↑ "Israeli Doctors Ban 'Conversion Therapy' for Gay People". Haaretz. 10 January 2019.
  48. ↑ Littauer, Dan (11 September 2013). "Lebanon Says: Being Gay Is Not a Disease and Needs No Treatment". Huffington Post'. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
  49. ↑ Kjær, Reider (2003). "Look to Norway? Gay Issues and Mental Health Across the Atlantic Ocean". Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy. 7 (1/2): 55–73. doi:10.1300/J236v07n01_05. S2CID   142840589. In October 2000, the General Assembly [of the Norwegian Psychiatric Association] voted overwhelmingly (about 90%) in favor of the following statement ... Homosexuality is no disorder or illness, and can therefore not be subject to treatment. A 'treatment' with the only aim of changing sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual must be regarded as ethical malpractice, and has no place in the health system.
  50. ↑ "'No place in any modern society': Psychologists condemn LGBT conversion therapies". TheJournal.ie. 3 April 2019. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 5 April 2019.
  51. ↑ "Rechazo total de los psicólogos a las 'terapias de conversión homosexual'". Redacción Médica.
  52. ↑ "POSITION STATEMENTS HOMOSEXUALITY - POSITION STATEMENT". Archived from the original on 20 April 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2016.
  53. ↑ "Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct". American Psychological Association. 1 June 2003. Archived from the original on 7 August 2007. Retrieved 28 August 2007.
  54. 1 2 Whitman, Joy S.; Glosoff, Harriet L.; Kocet, Michael M.; Tarvydas, Vilia (22 May 2006), Ethical issues related to conversion or reparative therapy, American Counseling Association, archived from the original on 27 September 2007, retrieved 28 August 2007
  55. ↑ Resolution on Appropriate Therapeutic Responses to Sexual Orientation, American Psychological Association, 14 August 1997, archived from the original on 24 March 2009, retrieved 28 August 2007
  56. ↑ Yarhouse, Mark (Summer 1998), "When Clients Seek Treatment for Same-Sex Attractions: Ethical Issues in the "Right to Choose" Debate", Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 35 (2): 248–259, doi:10.1037/h0087753.
  57. ↑ Yarhouse & Throckmorton 2002 , pp. 66–75
  58. 1 2 Haldeman, Douglas C. (June 2002), "Gay Rights, Patient Rights: The Implications of Sexual Orientation Conversion Therapy" (PDF), Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33 (3): 260–264, CiteSeerX   10.1.1.506.1394 , doi:10.1037/0735-7028.33.3.260, archived from the original (PDF) on 26 October 2017, retrieved 30 May 2010.
  59. ↑ Drescher 2001
  60. ↑ Tozer, Erinn E.; McClanahan, Mary K. (1999), "Treating the Purple Menace: Ethical Considerations of Conversion Therapy and Affirmative Alternatives", The Counseling Psychologist, 27 (5): 722–742, doi:10.1177/0011000099275006, S2CID   145397196.
  61. ↑ Shidlo & Schroeder 2002a
  62. ↑ American Psychiatric Association (May 2000). "Position Statement on Therapies Focused on Attempts to Change Sexual Orientation (Reparative or Conversion Therapies)". American Psychiatric Association. Archived from the original on 10 January 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2007. In December of 1998, the Board of Trustees issued a position statement that the American Psychiatric Association opposes any psychiatric treatment, such as "reparative" or conversion therapy, which is based upon the assumption that homosexuality per se is a mental disorder or based upon the a priori assumption that a patient should change his/her sexual homosexual orientation. ... The validity, efficacy and ethics of clinical attempts to change an individual's sexual orientation have been challenged. To date, there are no scientifically rigorous outcome studies to determine either the actual efficacy or harm of "reparative" treatments. (references omitted)
  63. ↑ "Position Statement: Therapies Attempting to Change Sexual Orientation" (PDF). British Psychological Society.
  64. ↑ Committee on Adolescence (2013). "Office-Based Care for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth". Pediatrics. 132 (1): 198–203. doi: 10.1542/peds.2013-1282 . ISSN   0031-4005. PMID   23796746.
  65. ↑ The Health of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding. Institute of Medicine/National Academies Press. 31 March 2011. p. 146. doi:10.17226/13128. ISBN   978-0-309-37909-0. PMID   22013611.
  66. ↑ "Gay, Christian and ... celibate: The changing face of the homosexuality debate - Religion News Service". Religionnews.com. 4 August 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  67. ↑ Zachariah P, Blaschke GS, Weddle M (2014). "A request for "conversion therapy"". Virtual Mentor. 16 (11): 877–83. doi:10.1001/virtualmentor.2014.16.11.ecas2-1411. PMID   25397646.
  68. ↑ "Conversion therapy: a consensus statement" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 February 2016.
  69. ↑ "Ending Conversion Therapy: Supporting and Affirming LGBTQ Youth" (PDF). Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. October 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 October 2021. Retrieved 26 December 2021. Specifically, conversion therapy—efforts to change an individual's sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression—is a practice that is not supported by credible evidence and has been disavowed by behavioral health experts and associations. Conversion therapy perpetuates outdated views of gender roles and identities as well as the negative stereotype that being a sexual or gender minority or identifying as LGBTQ is an abnormal aspect of human development. Most importantly, it may put young people at risk of serious harm.
  70. ↑ "Memorandum of Understanding on conversion therapy in the UK" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 January 2015.
  71. ↑ American Psychiatric Association (December 2018). "Position Statement on Therapies Focused on Attempts to Change Sexual Orientation (Reparative or Conversion Therapies)" (PDF). American Psychiatric Association. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 December 2021. While many might identify as questioning, queer, or a variety of other identities, "reparative" or conversion therapy is based on the a priori assumption that diverse sexual orientations and gender identities are mentally ill and should change ... APA encourages legislation which would prohibit the practice of "reparative" or conversion therapies that are based on the a priori assumption that diverse sexual orientations and gender identities are mentally ill (references omitted)
  72. ↑ ICD-10, Chapter V: Mental and behavioural disorders: Disorders of adult personality and behaviour, World Health Organization, 2007, retrieved 28 August 2007
  73. ↑ ""Therapies" to change sexual orientation lack medical justification and threaten health". Pan American Health Organization. Archived from the original on 23 May 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012. archived here .
  74. ↑ "Special Issue on the Mental Health Professions and Homosexuality", Journal of Gay & Lesbian Psychotherapy, 7 (1/2), 2003
  75. 1 2 3 Australian Psychological Society (27 September 2007). "APS Code of Ethics" (PDF). Australian Psychological Society. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018. The Australian Psychological Society Limited (the Society) adopted this Code of Ethics (the Code) at its Forty-First Annual General Meeting held on 27 September 2007. ... Reprinted October 2016
  76. ↑ "Codes, guidelines and policies". Psychology Board of Australia. 29 January 2018. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018. The Board has adopted the Australian Psychological Society Code of Ethics for the profession.
  77. ↑ "APS Code of Ethics". Australian Psychological Society. 2018. Retrieved 17 March 2018. In 2010 the Psychology Board of Australia adopted the APS Code of Ethics for the profession.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.