KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — A new study has found that frequent exposure to negative online messages is driving up depression, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts among LGBT+ individuals in Malaysia.
The study, titled “Exposure to negative LGBT-related media messages as a social determinant of mental health inequities for LGBT+ people in Malaysia,” said such messages often aim to indoctrinate the public with harmful ideology and ingrain anti-LGBT+ sentiments, particularly among those with limited or misinformed understanding of these issues.
From those surveyed, over three in four respondents reported seeing negative LGBT-related messages on social media “often” or “very often” over the past 12 months.
Regarding the nature of these messages, over 80 per cent of participants said the content depicted LGBT+ people as criminals or mentally disordered.
Furthermore, 71.7 per cent reported messages suggesting this group needed to be “treated” or advocating for increased legal punishment against them.
Impact on mental health
The study provides new insights into the mental health ramifications of such media exposure, identifying a path that involves negative expectations of societal rejection and police harassment.
“Our mediation analyses showed that negative LGBT-related messages on newspapers, TV, and social media (respectively can trigger fear in the anticipation of societal rejection, police harassment, and being labelled as mentally ill, all of which contribute to heightened risks of depression, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and suicidal ideation,” the study read.
It also found that this was consistent even after adjusting for various demographic factors.
However, the study did not detect a significant relationship between negative media exposure and actual suicide attempts.
Sources of negative messaging
Politicians and religious leaders were identified as the two most common sources of negative LGBT-related messages, cited by 87.1 per cent and 84.1 per cent of participants, respectively.
University lecturers and academic researchers were also noted as sources by a quarter of study participants (24.6 per cent).
The study comprised a sample of 757 participants aged 18 to 61 with varying sexual orientations and gender identities.
The findings come amid ongoing concerns about public discourse surrounding the LGBT+ community.
Most recently, a coalition of civil society groups urged Kelantan police to revise a statement regarding a raid on what was initially described as a “gay sex party” but was later clarified to be a health outreach event.
Media reports following the raid led to harmful and stigmatising remarks that intensified fear among LGBTQ individuals seeking health services.
