APA: Insufficient Evidence That Sexual Orientation Change Efforts Work
The American Psychological Association issued a press release today called Insufficient Evidence That Sexual Orientation Change Efforts Work, Says APA. Not tough to figure out what it's about:
Four times a year our county's school district distributes flyers to students, propagating the false belief that "change is possible" and that gay students can and should become straight. It is time for them to stop doing that. The sponsoring organization, PFOX, is a nonprofit, which qualifies their literature for distribution, but the information they propagate does not meet the standard that our educational institutions need to adhere to. This report should seal it. The psychological therapy that PFOX endorses does not work, according to the American Psychological Association, and the school district should have no part in telling any part of PFOX's lie to Montgomery County students.
Skipping down a little bit...
And when they say "be completely honest about the likelihood of sexual orientation change," they mean, "tell them it won't happen."
A copy of the task force's report may be obtained at http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/publications/therapeutic-response.pdf.
TORONTO—The American Psychological Association adopted a resolution Wednesday stating that mental health professionals should avoid telling clients that they can change their sexual orientation through therapy or other treatments.
The "Resolution on Appropriate Affirmative Responses to Sexual Orientation Distress and Change Efforts" also advises that parents, guardians, young people and their families avoid sexual orientation treatments that portray homosexuality as a mental illness or developmental disorder and instead seek psychotherapy, social support and educational services "that provide accurate information on sexual orientation and sexuality, increase family and school support and reduce rejection of sexual minority youth."
The approval, by APA's governing Council of Representatives, came at APA's annual convention, during which a task force presented a report that in part examined the efficacy of so-called "reparative therapy," or sexual orientation change efforts (SOCE).
"Contrary to claims of sexual orientation change advocates and practitioners, there is insufficient evidence to support the use of psychological interventions to change sexual orientation," said Judith M. Glassgold, PsyD, chair of the task force. "Scientifically rigorous older studies in this area found that sexual orientation was unlikely to change due to efforts designed for this purpose. Contrary to the claims of SOCE practitioners and advocates, recent research studies do not provide evidence of sexual orientation change as the research methods are inadequate to determine the effectiveness of these interventions." Glassgold added: "At most, certain studies suggested that some individuals learned how to ignore or not act on their homosexual attractions. Yet, these studies did not indicate for whom this was possible, how long it lasted or its long-term mental health effects. Also, this result was much less likely to be true for people who started out only attracted to people of the same sex."
Based on this review, the task force recommended that mental health professionals avoid misrepresenting the efficacy of sexual orientation change efforts when providing assistance to people distressed about their own or others' sexual orientation. Insufficient Evidence That Sexual Orientation Change Efforts Work, Says APA.
Four times a year our county's school district distributes flyers to students, propagating the false belief that "change is possible" and that gay students can and should become straight. It is time for them to stop doing that. The sponsoring organization, PFOX, is a nonprofit, which qualifies their literature for distribution, but the information they propagate does not meet the standard that our educational institutions need to adhere to. This report should seal it. The psychological therapy that PFOX endorses does not work, according to the American Psychological Association, and the school district should have no part in telling any part of PFOX's lie to Montgomery County students.
Skipping down a little bit...
As to the issue of possible harm, the task force was unable to reach any conclusion regarding the efficacy or safety of any of the recent studies of SOCE: "There are no methodologically sound studies of recent SOCE that would enable the task force to make a definitive statement about whether or not recent SOCE is safe or harmful and for whom," according to the report.
"Without such information, psychologists cannot predict the impact of these treatments and need to be very cautious, given that some qualitative research suggests the potential for harm," Glassgold said. "Practitioners can assist clients through therapies that do not attempt to change sexual orientation, but rather involve acceptance, support and identity exploration and development without imposing a specific identity outcome."
As part of its report, the task force identified that some clients seeking to change their sexual orientation may be in distress because of a conflict between their sexual orientation and religious beliefs. The task force recommended that licensed mental health care providers treating such clients help them "explore possible life paths that address the reality of their sexual orientation, reduce the stigma associated with homosexuality, respect the client's religious beliefs, and consider possibilities for a religiously and spiritually meaningful and rewarding life."
"In other words," Glassgold said, "we recommend that psychologists be completely honest about the likelihood of sexual orientation change, and that they help clients explore their assumptions and goals with respect to both religion and sexuality."
And when they say "be completely honest about the likelihood of sexual orientation change," they mean, "tell them it won't happen."
A copy of the task force's report may be obtained at http://www.apa.org/pi/lgbc/publications/therapeutic-response.pdf.
posted by JimK at 9:39 PM
21 Comments:
The APA says there is no evidence either way about the therapy's effectiveness or potential for harm.
But there's no evidence to the contrary and the county should stop teaching that there is.
PFOX will continue to circulate material with the help of MCPS.
The APA says there is no evidence either way about the therapy's effectiveness or potential for harm.
There you go again, omitting the findings you disagree with and only reporting the findings you do agree with. The entire statement put out by the APA is important, not just some parts of it.
The APA's statement also said (even though you don't like it):
"Without such information, psychologists cannot predict the impact of these treatments and need to be very cautious, given that some qualitative research suggests the potential for harm," Glassgold said. "Practitioners can assist clients through therapies that do not attempt to change sexual orientation, but rather involve acceptance, support and identity exploration and development without imposing a specific identity outcome."
But there's no evidence to the contrary and the county should stop teaching that there is.
No Anon, that's the lie. There is indeed some "qualitative research [that] suggests the potential for harm." What's "insufficient" is "evidence to support the use of psychological interventions to change sexual orientation".
"suggests the potential for harm"
Wow!
Who could argue with such a definitive statement?
When a group uses such language it suggests the potential for bias.
After all, the babbling you do to yourself suggests the potential for harm.
Basically, nothing new here.
APA is admitting the evidence is inconclusive but that they like the implications of one view over another.
Scientific studies have shown that when researchers have a desired outcome before the begin research, the findings are affected.
That's why everything in this field is so elusive.
APA has made it clear where they want the reserach to go.
When one reads the report, one finds that the APA task force found methodological difficulties with most of the studies. From what they can tell from limited evidence, they conclude that what they call SOCE is ineffective, although there are anecdotal reports of success (Spitzer's study was essentially a compilation of anecdotal reports). To repeat, they do not find that there is no evidence of effect: they find evidence of a lack of success.
If we're going to go with anecdotal effects, I've spoken with dozens of people who found reparative therapy and transformational ministries laughably ineffective; of course, my sample, like Spitzer's, is skewed. For myself, despite heroic efforts, it didn't work at all.
To be fair, I have a friend who did phone therapy with NARTH for years, and although he says it messed up his relational life, it did help him deal with other issues.
Thanks for finding and posting the APA report, Jim.
TBN, WTOP reported on this yesterday on their radio report, so tens or hundreds of thousands of DC area residents have heard a summary of the AP news story on the APA report.
I think I'll order a few copies of the report, just in case PFOX makes another assault on our local school boards in Virginia.
I suspect this will have no effect on the flyer distribution by PFOX in MCPS. I don't think the relevant case, Child Evangelism Fellowship v. MCPS, requires that info distributed by non-profits be truthful, simply that all non-profits be allowed to distribute under the same system.
I was unable to cut-and-paste from the APA document to this comment board. Can anyone tell me how to do that?
rrjr
I think it's because it's a PDF.
Unless you have access to software that can convert it to a text program, you'll probably have to type it.
The APA says there is no evidence either way about the therapy's effectiveness or potential for harm.
However telling people to be happy in their homosexual lifestyle can lead to larger than normal medical problems with that group of people. Look at the CDC and FDA reports. Do you really want to cause people harm?
No, refusing to acknowledge human sexuality can "can lead to larger than normal medical problems."
The continued assertion that homosexual activity somehow causes medical problems is absurd and offensive.
There is virtual nothing homosexuals do that is not also done by heterosexuals. Plenty of heterosexuals engage in oh-so-horrible anal sex yet no one makes a big deal about how "dangerous" it is for them. It is no more medically dangerous for a man to anally penetrate another man then it is for a male to anally penetrate a woman or a woman to do the same to a man with a strap-on device.
and yet, for some reason, the health consequences to homosexuals are much worse
why, Mr HCI?
it's because of the random promiscuity that is rampant among homosexuals circulates disease among their population
right?
How'd you like the way those four women superglued that rampantly promiscuous HETEROSEXUAL man's member to his belly? And those divorces stats for infidelity are something else!
Who thinks promiscuity has a sexual orientation?
just to explain the differences between the genders to you, females exert a pressure, absent all other factors, to monogamy
some say this is sociobiology, the female will have to care for any child and so she has an interest in making sure there is a partner to help and provide for her
in homosexual relationships, there is no female
in heterosexual realtionships, you may have a male cheating but, at most, with generally one partner
homsexuals, on the other hand, think nothing of new partners every week or more
they have no built-in bias toward monogamy
that's why AIDS is so disproportionately present in the homosexual population
governments have spent billions on education programs trying to affect behavior but the effect is always negligible
you might as well try to change the weather
Sociopathanon: homsexuals, on the other hand, think nothing of new partners every week or more
they have no built-in bias toward monogamy
Sociopathanon: Wow!
Who could argue with such a definitive statement?
When a [person] uses such language it suggests the potential for bias.
“PFOX will continue to circulate material”
There’s only one reason PFOX malcontents could have for promoting child abuse, mind rape, psychological molestation, demonization, dehumanization, degradation, LIES, spiritual and physical violence, badgering, harassment, confusion, HATRED, humiliation, homophobia, hetero-supremacy, oppression, persecution, hostility, abhorrence, self-loathing, gay-bashing, vilification, ex-gay myths, self-hatred, intolerance, teasing, taunting, bullying, embarrassment, hostility, mis-truths, un-truths, half-truths, scorn, phony studies, shame, smear campaigns, hypocrisy, character assassination, predation, SUICIDES, animosity, antagonism, disgust, contempt, malice, scorn, prejudice, hostility, malice, anger, malevolence, condescension, contempt, ridicule, BIGOTRY, injustice, unfairness, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera…
Because they ENJOY it.
"just to explain the differences between the genders to you, females exert a pressure, absent all other factors, to monogamy"
Not according to swingers. Amongst swinging couples it's the man who usually initiates attendance at a swingers event....but it's the wives that INSIST they come back.
Why? Because women were wired for non-monogamy and men weren't. When a man climaxes, he looses rigidity and blood empties out of the sexual organs. Arousal ends. However, it is a medical fact that women do NOT experience this, thus they can have multiple orgasms. In fact, the more orgasms a woman has sequentially, the more she can continue to have.
This is something women swingers learn pretty quickly. With the right rotation of partners, they can continue having orgasms for hours.
"some say this is sociobiology, the female will have to care for any child and so she has an interest in making sure there is a partner to help and provide for her
in homosexual relationships, there is no female
in heterosexual realtionships, you may have a male cheating but, at most, with generally one partner"
based on what science?
"homsexuals, on the other hand, think nothing of new partners every week or more"
I beg to differ. I've been with my partner 3+ years and it's just been us. I know very few gay couples with open relationships, and they're not open 24/7, they pick and choose - they have extra partners once or twice a year at most.
"they have no built-in bias toward monogamy"
Again, I BEG to differ. With the world being predominantly run by men, with women being treated as nothing more than property for centuries -- you expect us to believe women had the opportunity, power, and force to exert monogamy on an unwilling male power structure? They couldn't get equal rights but they were able to get unwillingly faithful husbands? Please.
"that's why AIDS is so disproportionately present in the homosexual population"
Actually, it's not. Not globally at least. Globally, HIV/AIDS affects more straight people, and is transmitted most often by straight sex. Globally straight people are simply not protecting themselves the way they should in part because of the persistent stereotype that HIV is a gay problem, not a straight problem.
Swinging is a rare phenomenom, Jason (except among TTF officers).
"you expect us to believe women had the opportunity, power, and force to exert monogamy on an unwilling male power structure?"
yes, I do
"I've been with my partner 3+ years and it's just been us."
Really?
Why?
"Globally, HIV/AIDS affects more straight people, and is transmitted most often by straight sex."
That's because outside the liberal Western democracies with Christian heritage, homosexuality is not widely tolerated.
Poverty and associated prostitution spread the disease there.
If homogaiety became widely accepted in those places, AIDS would spread among gays. As it is, few people know who is gay.
"'I've been with my partner 3+ years and it's just been us.'
Really?
Why?"
You are just a hateful, ugly person, aren't you? I guess that's why you post as anonymous.
Gay people fall in love with one another, whether you like it or not. Gay people have monogamous relationships, whether you approve or not.
My partner and I are a couple of months away from our 16th anniversary and we are, and have always been, 100% monogamous.
$5 says you're going to accuse me of lying.
Swinging is a rare phenomenom, Jason (except among TTF officers).
Anon, this was unnecessary.
And on another thread you just told somebody they're stupid, with no positive message to justify the name-calling. You need to settle down or I'm going to start deleting stuff.
JimK
I thought the swinging remark was so ridiculous everyone would know it's a joke
my apologies
"My partner and I are a couple of months away from our 16th anniversary and we are, and have always been, 100% monogamous."
I'm not calling you and Jason liars.
I'm just asking why you're monogamous.
How about an answer.
Would you ask that of a straight couple?
We're monogamous because we want to be.
Your assertion that only females are interested in monogamy is offensive.
I think anonymous doesn't know actual gay people; he just knows what they taught him in church about gay people.
I learned the same things. They were wrong.
"Swinging is a rare phenomenom, Jason (except among TTF officers)."
Actually based on the attendance at swinging conferences heald annually (these are couple-only events) there are more swinging straight couples then the highest estimates of gay people.
They're not rare, they're more closeted than gay people due to stigma.
""you expect us to believe women had the opportunity, power, and force to exert monogamy on an unwilling male power structure?"
yes, I do"
based on what? Monogamy has benefits for both men and women. As does multiple partners.
""I've been with my partner 3+ years and it's just been us."
Really?
Why?"
Because we agreed that's what we both wanted. It's as simple as that.
""Globally, HIV/AIDS affects more straight people, and is transmitted most often by straight sex."
That's because outside the liberal Western democracies with Christian heritage, homosexuality is not widely tolerated."
No, it's because a great deal of misinformation exists globablly about HIV and it's transmission. In Africa, for example, many believe that having sex with a virgin will cure HIV.
"Poverty and associated prostitution spread the disease there."
Yes, but so does ignorance and stigma.
"If homogaiety became widely accepted in those places, AIDS would spread among gays. As it is, few people know who is gay."
Your assertions are as laughable as your expectation that we take them seriously when served with bs like "homogaiety".
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