A mental health
study released Tuesday in Northern Ireland reveals some
alarming statistics about young gay men. According to the
research, almost two thirds of gay or bisexual men in
Northern Ireland have considered suicide--and a
quarter of them have actually attempted it.
The study, conducted by the Rainbow Project, a
health advocacy group for the country's gay and
bisexual men, also found that more than 30% of
the subjects were at one point diagnosed as having a mental
illness. The findings are based on three years of
research on almost 200 gay men age 25 or younger.
The report, titled "Out on Your Own," reads,
"The needs of this population must be included in the
strategic planning of organizations that work with
young people." A discussion of the findings is
scheduled for Wednesday, led by the head of the Equality
Commission for Northern Ireland. (Sirius OutQ News)