Dutch psychiatrists express regret for the past suffering inflicted on the LGBTQ+ community. Preferences and genders other than straight, male, or female used to be considered as a disease, with horrible treatments as a consequence. The Dutch Association for Psychiatry (NVvP) apologized.

Psychiatrists have spent years trying to turn same-sex clients into straights, and to dissuade transgender people from gender reassignment. Not only conversations, but also shock therapy, and castration were part of the treatments. This, and other forms of sexuality, were wrongly seen as mental illnesses. All of this has caused major suffering.

In addition, a 2010 study by the Trimbos Institute has shown that depression, anxiety, addiction, and suicidality are relatively more common within this group. Recent research by 113 Suicide Prevention shows that 43 percent of young people who belong to the LGBTIQ + community have had suicidal thoughts. The share of the other young people is much smaller, namely 15 percent.

Source: on the back of a couple of articles via the media.