Within health and social care policies and service provision, the acronym LGBTIQA+ is often used to refer to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex variation/s, asexual, and other identifications. International research consistently identifies high rates of suicidal behaviour, including thoughts, feelings, and actions, amongst LGBTIQA+ populations. The need for tailored services and supports for suicidal behaviour for LGBTIQA+ individuals has begun to be recognised in social policy but there is little evidence about the form in which support should be delivered or the effectiveness of formal support and interventions. There is also a need for deeper insight into how experiences of suicidality and support vary across the breadth and diversity of LGBTIQA+ communities, with a particular focus on intersectionality and intersectional experiences.
Intersectionality draws attention to how people embody multiple identities, creating overlapping and interdependent systems of discrimination or disadvantage. This includes, but is not limited to First Nations Peoples, people of colour (POC), cultural and linguistic diversity, faith background, age, abilities, alongside diverse genders and sexualities. LGBTIQA+ lived experience accounts of suicidality can also generate insights into how individuals manage their suicidal feelings and move beyond moments of suicidal distress. Collating this insight can be used to inform policy makers and service providers about what support approaches might work best and why, and to develop approaches to service delivery that are accessible and inclusive for LGBTIQA+ people from diverse social and cultural backgrounds.
To facilitate better policy and service responses to LGBTIQA+ suicidal behaviour in Australia, this project has two aims:
- To generate new insights into lived experiences of suicidal behaviour within LGBTIQA+ communities, including First Nations LGBTIQA+SB people and LGBTIQA+POC in Australia.
- To better understand the factors that influence and protect against suicidal behaviour in LGBTIQA+SB communities, and the practices and services experienced as helpful and supportive to prevent or manage it.
The methodology centred lived experience within an intersectional approach. This was informed by community psychology's commitment to progressive and generative collaborative practice which has been used to work effectively with LGBTIQA+ groups and First Nations Peoples of Australia. We use the acronym LGBTQA+SB throughout this report to recognise the diverse genders and sexualities of our participants and acknowledge that, despite attempts, we were unable to recruit participants who identified with intersex variations.
