ALMOST half of Scotland’s LGBT people have experienced depression in the last year, research reveals today.

Equality charity Stonewall Scotland found that 49 per cent of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have suffered from the mental health condition — including more than seven in 10 transgender people.

The research, based on YouGov polling of more than 1,250 LGBT people in Scotland, found nearly a quarter (24 per cent) have witnessed discrimination or negative remarks being made against LGBT people by healthcare staff, while one in six (16 per cent) have deliberately harmed themselves in the last year.

More than half of trans people (52 per cent) said they had thought of taking their own life in the last year, while two in five (37 per cent) have avoided seeking healthcare for fear of discrimination.

Stonewall Scotland director Colin Macfarlane said: “Last year, our research found an 89 per cent increase over a five-year period in the proportion of LGBT people who had experienced a hate crime.

“Sadly, this report highlights the impact that hostility and abuse have on mental health and wellbeing, with many lesbian, gay, bi and trans people in Scotland experiencing poor mental health this year.

“It’s vital that LGBT people feel able to access quality healthcare when they need it, but this report shows they can expect to face unequal treatment and discrimination when accessing healthcare services.”

The findings also indicate that more than a quarter of LGBT people (27 per cent) have encountered healthcare staff who do not understand specific lesbian, gay and bi health needs. For trans people, that figure rose to nearly three in five (59 per cent).