The experiences of lesbian, gay and bisexual people accessing mental health crisis support helplines in Australia

Lim, Gene; Waling, Andrea; Lyons, Anthony; Pepping, Christopher A.; Brooks, Anna; Bourne, Adam

doi:10.1080/19419899.2021.1904274

Cited by 10 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Given the premise that heterosexism and cissexism 4 are embedded "at all levels of interaction, from the state through to communities, relationships and individuals" (Donovan & Barnes, 2020, p. 555), LGBTQ victim-survivors likely contend with some amount of discrimination in navigating formal services (Harden et al, 2020). While LGBTQ individuals often develop a baseline tolerance to homophobic, biphobic or transphobic slights and employ strategies to avoid discrimination in day-to-day life (Choi & Oh, 2021), victimsurvivors are likely in a state of psychological decompensation when presenting to support services (Riggs & Treharne, 2017) which amplifies the impact of ordinarily minor slights (Lim et al, 2021(Lim et al, , 2022.…”

Section: The Role Of Services In Lgbtq Victim-survivors' Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

LGBTQ Victim-Survivors' Experiences and Negotiations of Service Worker and Service System Discrimination

et al. 2023

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Purpose This study examined the experiences of LGBTQ victim-survivors who sought out support from domestic violence services in Australia. While the literature on intimate partner violence (IPV) is increasingly focused on improving LGBTQ inclusivity and cultural safety within both service and policy contexts, the experiences of LGBTQ victim-survivors themselves are often absent from these discussions. Consequently, little is understood about how LGBTQ victim-survivors navigate and negotiate service contexts that are frequently optimized for cisgender, heterosexual victim-survivors. Methods Structured life history interviews were conducted with (N = 29) LGBTQ victim-survivors aged 19–79 years of age who had recent (< 2 years) or ongoing experiences of IPV. Results LGBTQ victim-survivors' help-seeking behaviors are undertaken against the backdrop of a highly variegated service landscape. Individual service organizations and service workers' attitudes towards LGBTQ clients can run the gamut from inclusive and culturally sensitive to heterosexist and exclusionary, with little outward distinction between such. While participants within our study demonstrated the ability to deftly navigate or minimize the incidence of such treatment, there were clear limits to the extent that deploying such strategies would successfully enable victim-survivors to access service support. The additional psychological costs of cautiously navigating service systems were also not insubstantial and contributed significantly to both service disengagement and poorer service outcomes. Conclusions Efforts to expand service capabilities to improve service uptake and service outcomes for LGBTQ victim-survivors must be attentive to, and address the impact of anticipated and experienced discrimination on service provision.

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Section: The Role Of Services In Lgbtq Victim-survivors' Recoverymentioning

confidence: 99%

LGBTQ Victim-Survivors' Experiences and Negotiations of Service Worker and Service System Discrimination

et al. 2023

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“…Barriers to service use include both practical barriers, such as time limitations and financial constraints, as well as minority stress-related barriers, such as fear of potential discrimination or mistreatment from healthcare providers (Bonvicini, 2017;Cronin et al, 2021a, b;Pepping et al, 2017). Even when LGBTQ individuals do seek help, the extent to which this help is affirming and tailored to meet the needs of LGBTQ individuals can be limited (e.g., Higgins et al, 2021;Lim et al, 2021Lim et al, , 2022 as not all mental health professionals have received appropriate training in LGBTQ-affirmative care (Higgins et al, 2021;Klein, 2017). This is unfortunate given that non-affirmative mental health support is associated with reduced effectiveness (Davis et al, 2021).…”

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confidence: 99%

LGBTQ Mental Health Peer Support: A Descriptive Survey

Pepping,

Worrell,

Anderson

et al. 2024

Sex Res Soc Policy

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Background Gender and sexual minority adults have significant unmet mental health care needs and are often faced with barriers to accessing appropriate services. In this context, LGBTQ individuals often turn to each other for mental health support. Methods In a sample of 326 LGBTQ adults (M age = 37.64) who were providing mental health support to their LGBTQ peers, we examined the nature of LGBTQ peer support, including who provides peer support, to whom, and for what issues. We also examined the experiences of those providing LGBTQ peer support, and the role of mental health training. Data were collected in 2020. Results Participants provided support to a range of individuals, including close friends, colleagues, and those who were previously strangers. The types of concerns they supported their peers with varied greatly, though depression, anxiety, suicidality, and coping with discrimination were common concerns. Participants were often managing multiple competing demands, and many appeared to be managing their own mental health concerns. Those who had received at least some mental health training appeared to fare better in their experiences of providing peer support compared to those without such training. Policy Implications Findings illustrate the importance of increasing access to LGBTQ-affirmative mental health services. We also highlight the importance of developing and disseminating initiatives designed to support those providing LGBTQ peer support, both to increase the effectiveness of peer support and to help manage the impact of providing LGBTQ peer support.

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