PRISM: Human Rights issues relating to Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression, and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) in Aotearoa New Zealand - A report with recommendations 10% Weekly marijuana smoking 3% Same/Both-sex attracted 16% Weekly cigarette smoking Opposite-sex attracted 4% 41% Binge alcohol drinking Weekly alcohol drinking 24% 19% 9% FIGURE 7: Substance use of secondary students (Source: Youth’12) The poor health outcomes for SOGIESC-diverse people are linked to experiences of minority stress.221 Minority stress explains the ways in which stigma, prejudice, and discrimination create hostile and stressful social environments that causes mental health problems. The framework describes the relationship between social stressors and the health disparities seen in sexuality diverse communities compared with the heterosexual population, and has since been applied to transgender populations to illustrate the same concept.222 Participants at each of the Commission’s three public hui reiterated that minority stress and other mental health issues could be improved by appropriate and timely access to specifically trained professionals.223 In general, existing mental health and addiction services fail to achieve equal outcomes for SOGIESC-diverse people.224 A 2018 study on queer Ilan Meyer “Prejudice, Social Stress, and Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Populations: Conceptual Issues and Research Evidence” (2003) 129 Psychological Bulletin p674. 222 Brian Rood and others “Expecting Rejection: Understanding the Minority Stress Experiences of Transgender and GenderNonconforming Individuals” (2016) 1 Transgender Health p151. 223 Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch stakeholder engagement meeting notes are publicly available. See New Zealand Human Rights Commission “Universal Periodic Review” <https://www.hrc.co.nz/international-reporting/universal-periodic-review/>. 224 He Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction (4 December 2018) at 72. 225 Gloria Fraser The Rainbow Mental Health Support Experiences Study (Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, 2019). 226 He Ara Oranga: Report of the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction (4 December 2018) at 11. 227 The establishment of a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission was a recommendation from the Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction. 228 Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill 2019 (188-1), s 13. 229 Both OUTLine and the Human Rights Commission made submissions recommending s 13 of the Bill be amended to explicitly include rainbow communities. The submission by OUTLine was signed by over 500 individuals and 80 organisations. Submissions can be accessed from the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission Bill on the Parliamentary website. 221 40 and trans experiences of accessing mental health support in Aotearoa New Zealand showed that wait times for accessing mental health support were lengthy, with some people reporting they were only able to access help following a suicide attempt.225 The government’s 2018 Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction, He Ara Oranga, acknowledged unmet mental health needs in SOGIESC-diverse communities.226 It outlined the communities’ experiences of inequality in mental health and addiction outcomes. Despite this, the Bill to establish a new Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission227 did not include mention of SOGIESC-diverse people as a group whose views must be sought in performing its function.228 Submissions recommending the inclusion of these groups were made during the Select Committee process, and the Bill is now awaiting a second reading.229