Increased mental health and psychosocial risks in LGBQ youth accessing Australian youth AOD services

Abstract

Research has consistently demonstrated that young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or queer (LGBQ) show greater levels of psychosocial risk than general cohorts of young people. Young people engaged with youth alcohol and other drug (AOD) services are some of the most marginalized of all young people. Hitherto research is yet to investigate if young people identifying as LGBQ fare worse in these psychosocial domains than their non-LGBQ co-clients within AOD services. This study compared outcomes for 103 matched pairs of LGBQ identified and non-LGBQ identified young people (N = 206) using youth AOD services in Australia from a youth needs census. The results indicated that youth identifying as LGBQ reported more family dysfunction; and had experienced more violent crime, sexual, physical, and emotional abuse; and accumulated trauma than the non-LGBQ group. They had significantly more substance related harms, greater polysubstance use, and greater severity in their substance use. The LGBQ group also demonstrated poorer psychological health, quality of life, and were more likely to report a history of mental illness, and non-suicidal self-injury according to their youth worker. Overall these data indicate a need to direct more support to this particularly at risk group of young people.

Keywords:

• Alcohol and other drug
• services
• adolescence
• mental health
• substance use
• LGBQ

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Madeline Wishart

Madeline Wishart received her PhD in psychology from Victoria University. Her research focus is on nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). She has presented numerous seminars and workshops on managing NSSI in young people. Madeline has also worked as a youth, school, and trauma counsellor. Throughout her PhD, she was engaged as a sessional lecturer and tutor at Victoria University, and she is currently working as a research officer at Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS) in Melbourne whilst completing her Masters in Applied Psychology (Clinical).

Cassandra Davis

Cassandra Davis is an experienced psychologist who has worked in youth alcohol and other drug, and adult alcohol and other drug treatment settings for the past 12 years. Cassandra currently works as a psychologist with Dovetail in Brisbane, a state-wide youth alcohol and other drug training and support service. She has a particular interest and experience in working with young people who identify with diverse genders and sexualities. Her research interests include youth alcohol and other drug use, youth mental health and young people with diverse genders and sexualities.

Alexia Pavlis

Alexia Pavlis received her doctoral degree in clinical neuropsychology from Victoria University. She is a lecturer in clinical neuropsychology and the Deputy Director of the La Trobe University Psychology Clinic. Alexia is an experienced clinical neuropsychologist who has worked in mental health and neurology settings across the lifespan. She has a particular interest and experience in working with children and young people with developmental, mental health and neurological conditions. Her research interests include investigations of consumer experiences within mental health and medical settings, such as carer experiences of caring for people with progressive neurological disorders, and evaluation of group therapy programs for children and young people.

Karen T Hallam

Karen Hallam has been an active researcher in the mental health field for the past 14 years with a practical and research focus on young adults. Karen completed her PhD in the Department of Psychiatry at The University of Melbourne in bipolar disorders and worked as a research fellow to the bipolar research and treatment team at ORYGEN Research Centre. Since then, Karen has worked extensively in the youth mental health field and published over 50 papers in the area of youth mental health and wellbeing. Alongside her research work, Karen is a clinical psychologist and consultant for organizations. Karen is currently the Director of YSAS Research Innovation.