Happy Sexual Health Week! As we discussed in the previous blogs, this year’s theme is “Are You Feeling It?”- a focus on the intrinsic link between sexual health and mental health. With this in mind, we thought we’d have a conversation with Fiona Hannah, she’s a child and adolescent psychotherapist who founded a private mental health service called Teenage Mental Health in Ipswich. Below are some of the questions we asked Fiona about explain the connection between sexual and mental health.
- Tell us more about yourself and your organisation?
My name is Fiona Hannah, I am a child and adolescent psychotherapist, I founded Teenage Mental Health in Ipswich in 2019, and I am the clinical director there overseeing all the clinical work that we do. I am also in the middle of my Doctorate in child psychotherapy at the University of Essex and I research the role that dogs take up in the psychotherapeutic relationship. I chose to qualify as a psychotherapist with young people after witnessing how difficult it is for young people to access appropriate mental health support and the struggles that their parents encounter when trying to find services for their children. Teenage Mental Health is a private mental health service providing talking therapy services for all ages, however we specialise in child and adolescent work and working with families. We work on a not-for-profit basis and our organisation is structured to provide immediate support without waiting lists ensuring that no one must feel unseen or unheard at a time of crisis.
- What do you think the relationship between mental and sexual health is?
I think all aspects of our health are interconnected, whether that be sexual, biological or mental health. No aspect of our health operates singularly to another, and each is reliant on the other to be at optimal functioning. If your mental health is poor, it is bound to impact your sexual health as well as your physical health and vice versa.
- Why is it important to address them both together for sexual health week? Especially when we think about the shame and stigma that surrounds them both?
It is essential to view all health holistically from a whole body/person view. It is interesting that there are few stigmas around general physical health however both sexual and mental health historically have been heavily stigmatised with much shame attached to them. During sexual health week it is a positive to link the two together to enable robust support and information provision on these difficult subjects.
- What are the common misconceptions you’ve come across, particularly with young people that people have around the relationship between mental and sexual health?
Often patients are surprised that their mental health can also impact on their sexual health and ability to maintain healthy interpersonal relationships. Mental ill health can also affect and impact on an individual’s ability to reach climax and this can in turn affect their relationships and cause issues with their sexual health often resulting in seeking more and more extreme ways of stimulation to achieve climax.
- How do you think these misconceptions contribute to feelings of shame or stigma?
I believe these misconceptions can contribute to these feelings, it can be very hard for young people to openly discuss their sex lives with others and as such it is relatively common for young people to feel both shame and stigma around being unable to perform sexually as a result of their mental ill health.
- Do you think experiences of sexual stigma contribute to the worsening of our mental health?
Undoubtably having any stigma attached to a health concern you may have could potentially worsen the individual’s mental health, making it difficult for them to talk about their concerns and access services. In my opinion, stigmatising both mental health and Sexual health causes barriers to accessing care for the most vulnerable sections of our society which are often also the group that needs support the most.
- What can we do to help people overcome stigma and shame related to their sexual health? Are there specific approaches or techniques that can help?
In my opinion education is the key to overcoming both the stigma and shame attached to an individual’s sexual health. It is essential all those working with young people engage in open and frank dialogue with those that they work with and normalise sexual health as we would physical health.
- Do you think better education, such as comprehensive RSHE, plays an important role for addressing not just better sexual health but also mental health?
Historically we have seen that education plays a key role in ensuring societal changes in attitudes towards what can be perceived as taboo subjects. This of course leaves most of the burden for this education with the school’s system, one which has multiple existing challenges and demands on their resources. I do believe that should statutory services commit to changing the current landscape and provide the required resources to our education system then change can happen to de stigmatise current attitudes towards both mental and sexual health.
- Can you share any examples of how your organisation works to reduce stigma around mental and sexual health? Any lessons you’ve learnt?
As an organisation we have a clear policy of education and acceptance of all those that use our services. We have always provided free condoms in our toilet facilities as well as free sanitary products for those menstruating that use our services. We have found that honest, frank, open conversations and attitudes help young people find the space to talk about and process difficult subjects such as sexual health empowering them to better be able to access services for their personal needs.
We’d like to thank Fiona and all the Teenage Mental Health team for not only having this conversation with us, but all the fantastic work they do. If you wish to reach out to Teenage Mental Health, all their contact information is below-
Website: www.teenagementalhealth.co.uk
Facebook: @TeenageMentalHealthSuffolk
Insta: Tmhsuffolk
Twitter: TMHSuffolk
LinkedIn: teenagementalhealth
YouTube: TMHsuffolk
