Psychological Well-being and Positive Mental Health in LGB Adults-View Recording

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Video Summary

The annual John Fryer Award Lecture was delivered by Dr. Robert Kurtzner, honored for his contributions to the mental health of sexual minorities. The award is named after Dr. John Fryer, a gay psychiatrist instrumental in removing homosexuality from the list of mental disorders in 1973.<br /><br />Dr. Kurtzner, a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Columbia, has focused his career on sexual minority mental health, particularly regarding HIV/AIDS. He spoke about the importance of understanding positive mental health within the LGB community, noting that while increased rates of depression and anxiety due to stigmatization are well-documented, there is less focus on positive mental health experiences.<br /><br />He highlighted the importance of love, being seen, cultural enfranchisement, and religion in fostering well-being. He addressed the idea that beyond addressing mental health disparities, there is value in promoting positive aspects of LGB lives. Dr. Kurtzner referenced empirical studies on psychological well-being, exploring themes like coherence and reconciliation in LGB life narratives.<br /><br />Throughout the talk, the importance of mentorship, activism, and role models was emphasized, especially following the generational loss due to the AIDS epidemic. Dr. Kurtzner concluded by advocating for the pursuit of well-being within the LGB community, underscoring the necessity of advocacy and sharing personal and professional experiences to effect change and support mental health.

Keywords

John Fryer Award

Robert Kurtzner

sexual minorities

mental health

LGB community

HIV/AIDS

positive mental health

cultural enfranchisement

psychological well-being

mentorship

advocacy