Atitudes corretivas em relação a pacientes lésbicas, gays e bissexuais : avaliação dos profissionais de psicologia

Abstract

This study, carried out in the research group Prejudice, Vulnerability and Psychosocial Processes in the unit of Social Psychology, had as main objective to evaluate the corrective attitudes (CA) of professionals of psychology towards lesbian, gay and bisexual patients (LGB) in regional councils of Psychology (CRP) of the Distrito federal, Pernambuco, Bahia, Minas Gerais, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Rio Grande do Sul, Paraná, Goiás, Espírito Santo and Mato Grosso. Sociodemographic, sociocultural, professional variables, ethiopathological beliefs about homosexuality and bisexuality, and corrective attitudes of active psychologists in CRPs were considered. These were considered in frequency and regression. The sample studied was 692 psychology professionals registered in the organs of the class who answered an online questionnaire. The frequency of corrective attitudes with and without a patient's request have been quantified and are more frequently present in cognitive/behavioral and family/systemic psychotherapists. The etiopathological beliefs about LGB patients were analyzed in frequency. The regression analyzes demonstrated that the strongest predictors of CA were the belief that homosexuality is a pathology; the belief that children raised by homosexual parents (gay or lesbian or bisexual) are more likely to develop developmental problems; the belief that homosexuality/bisexuality is the product of a feeling that one is inadequate or incompetent in heterosexual relationships; the belief that there is a cause for the homosexuality / bisexuality of the patients; the gender of the psychotherapist; and the current belief level in relation to some religion. Appropriate implementation of interventions with the LGB population should take place through acceptance and support, comprehensive assessment, active coping, social support, and the exploration and development of identity as part of sexual diversity. The investigation of the most frequent and predictive psychological beliefs of CA can foster changes in the teaching approach of the subject. In addition, there is a need for regional councils of psychology to carry out interventions with their professionals aimed at changing attitudes towards sexual diversity.