Reynish Tamara D, Hoang Ha, Bridgman Heather, Nic Giolla Easpaig Bróna
Centre for Rural Health, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, New South Wales, Australia.
Cult Health Sex. 2022 Dec;24(12):1603-1618. doi: 10.1080/13691058.2021.1985616. Epub 2021 Oct 27.
Sex workers experience risk and protective factors that affect their psychological well-being, yet little is known about sex workers' mental health and their experiences with related services in rural and remote Tasmania, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six current or former sex workers with pre-existing mental health problems, and thematic analysis was used to identify their experiences with mental health and related care. Generally, sex work does not contribute to participants' mental health concerns; rather, social exclusion and systemic issues cause psychological harm. Ineffective mental health professionals and the lack of tailored or culturally competent support serve as barriers to care. Significantly, widespread stigma was both a risk factor to participants' mental health and a barrier to help seeking and resulted in isolation and identity concealment. Resilience, self-awareness and social inclusion reduce the psychological impact of exogenous oppression and encourage help seeking. The decriminalisation of sex work could improve sex worker mental health and reduce stigma by normalising sex work.
性工作者面临着影响其心理健康的风险和保护因素，但对于澳大利亚塔斯马尼亚农村和偏远地区性工作者的心理健康及其在相关服务方面的经历却知之甚少。对六名有心理健康问题史的现任或前任性工作者进行了半结构化访谈，并采用主题分析法来确定他们在心理健康及相关护理方面的经历。总体而言，性工作并非导致参与者心理健康问题的原因；相反，社会排斥和系统性问题才会造成心理伤害。心理健康专业人员能力不足以及缺乏针对性或具有文化胜任力的支持成为了护理的障碍。值得注意的是，普遍存在的污名化既是参与者心理健康的风险因素，也是寻求帮助的障碍，导致了孤立和身份隐瞒。复原力、自我意识和社会包容可减轻外部压迫的心理影响，并鼓励寻求帮助。性工作合法化可通过使性工作正常化来改善性工作者的心理健康并减少污名化。
