Mental Health Support for LGBT+ Elders

Mental Health has become a critical issue for the Elder community in Puerto Rico and specifically for the LGBTTQ+ elder community. Since 2017 when Puerto Rico was hit by the strongest hurricane the island had seen in 100 years, the elder LGBT+ community has struggled with anxiety, depression, suicide thoughts, and unfortunately a devastating increase in deaths by suicides.

After that and when the island was getting back to normal a series of earthquakes shook the island.

Earthquake activity is not near to be stabilized, last week we had a 4.2 earthquake that has once again shaken not only the earth and property but also the mental stability of everyone in Puerto Rico, especially our LGBT older adults.

Today as we all know we are still struggling with the reality of living under the pandemic generated by COVID19 that has changed every aspect of our lives as we knew it.

The Hurricane, the Earthquakes, and now the COVID19 Pandemic are responsible for a heightened level of stress, despair, and uncertainty that in many cases leads to anxiety, depression, and suicide thoughts.

Recent studies show that our elder LGBT+ community deals with isolation, loneliness, and lack of access to food, healthcare, and specifically mental health services.

Somewhere between 30 and 60 percent of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, or transgender people deal with anxiety and depression at some point in their lives. That rate is 1.5 to 2.5 times higher than that of their straight or gender-conforming counterparts.

This strikingly high number increases significantly for LGBT+ elders.

Please Help Us in providing services, programs and activities to reach, engage and support the optimums mental health of our LGBT+ elder community.

You can also see more information visiting:

 www.wavesahead.org/expresate

https://www.facebook.com/WAVESAHEAD