Abstract
Many professionals in Psychology in Brazil still consider homosexuality a mental disorder or a deviation, despite the absence of empirical evidence and the bioethical aspects involved in these judgments. According to the literature, these professionals often practice interventions that aim to change or repair homosexuality. This study aimed to evaluate the corrective attitudes (CA) of Psychology professionals in relation to lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) patients, through an online questionnaire. The analysis showed that 29.48% of the professionals showed CA when they were asked by patients, and 12.43% when they were not. In addition, they are more often present in cognitive/behavioral and family/systemic psychotherapists. Regression analyses have demonstrated that the strongest predictors of CA were the beliefs that: homosexuality is a pathology; children raised by homosexual parents (gay or lesbian or bisexual) are more likely to develop developmental problems; homosexuality/bisexuality is the product of a feeling that one is inadequate or incompetent in heterosexual relationships; there is a cause for the homosexuality/bisexuality of patients. The genre of the psychotherapist and her/his current belief level in relation to some religion were also strong predictors. Appropriate implementation of interventions with the LGB population should take place through acceptance and support, comprehensive evaluation, active coping, social support, and the exploration and development of identity as part of sexual diversity.
Corrective Attitudes; Homosexuality; Clinical Psychology