(Toronto, Ontario) A new study has found that existing mental health services do not adequately meet the needs of bisexual people in Canada’s largest province.

The Ontario-wide project evaluated the experiences of bisexual people based on three main determinants of health: social factors, including biphobia and stigma; interpersonal relationships, including those with the LGBT community, the workplace and partners; and internal factors, including self-acceptance and identity struggles.

The results show that social biphobia and stereotypes about bisexuals have far reaching negative effects on the mental health and well-being of bisexual people.

Previous research shows that bisexual people are more likely to seek help with mental health issues than heterosexuals, but many of those who were surveyed expressed frustration when interacting with the healthcare system.

“Bisexual people we interviewed felt that therapists and other health care providers need a better understanding of the continuums of sexuality and gender,” said Dr. Lori Ross who conducted research on the project and is with the Social, Equity and Health Unit of the Center for Addiction and Mental Health.

Ross also said that gaps in the system may point to the need for specialized clinical training.

“Many participants reported that they felt that some queer-friendly therapists were uncomfortable dealing with certain mental health issues, while mainstream mental health clinicians did not have an understanding of the specific challenges faced by bisexual people,” she said.

While many of the respondents also had positive experiences with queer-friendly clinicians, the report shows that the lack of understanding of bisexuality also extends into the LGBT community.

“Some clinicians, even those from the LGBT community, have difficulty seeing bisexuality as a healthy and legitimate sexual orientation,” said Anna Travers, a former Program Manager at the Sherbourne Health Center.