Therapists still offer treatments for homosexuality despite lack of evidence

A significant number of psychiatrists and therapists are trying to help lesbian or gay patients become heterosexual, according to research by St George's , University of London and UCL (University College London).

This is despite a lack of evidence that such treatments can be beneficial or even safe, the study published in the journal BMC Psychiatry said.

The researchers questioned over 1,400 mental health professionals on whether they would attempt to change a client's sexual orientation if requested. Although only one in 25 (4 per cent) said that they would do so, one in six (17 per cent) reported having assisted at least one client to reduce their gay or lesbian feelings, usually through therapy. Therapists were also asked in what year they had conducted such therapy and there was no sign of a decrease in recent times.

“This study shows a striking amount of practitioners are still trying to ‘treat' homosexuality,” says Dr Annie Bartlett, Reader in Psychiatry at St George's , University of London 's Division of Mental Health. “This is particularly surprising when you consider that there is so little evidence to show that so-called ‘gay cure therapies' have any effect on sexuality whatsoever, in fact, they can be harmful.”

Dr Bartlett and her colleagues - Professor Michael King from University College London and Dr Glenn Smith from Imperial College London (who was with UCL at the time of the study) — found the reasons given by these psychiatrists and therapists for offering this kind of assistance ranged from practitioners' concerns about patient distress and confusion about sexuality, to a desire to help those attempting to manage religious, cultural, or moral values at odds with their same sex sexuality.”

One anonymous professional who took part in the study said they would help a patient if they held a religious belief that forbade homosexuality. Another said: "The individuals I have worked with have all been very unhappy about their sexuality and wish they were heterosexual."

The research, funded by the Wellcome Trust, coincides with the researchers' launch of the website www.treatmentshomosexuality.org.uk . This website aims to raise awareness of the issue. It provides oral histories from lesbian, gay and bisexual people who have undergone treatment, and from professionals who developed and conducted such treatments.

Dr Bartlett concludes: "The best way to help people struggling with sexuality issues is to help people adjust to their situation, to value them as people and show them that there is nothing deviant about being gay, lesbian or bisexual."

For media enquiries please contact Helena Clay in St George's press office on 020 8266 6831, hclay@sgul.ac.uk