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

ABSTRACT

Available evidence affirms the effectiveness- of crisis helpline services in providing appropriate short-term intervention for many groups, but the unique needs of sexual minority adult callers may prevent them from deriving similar therapeutic benefit. Two hundred and forty-eight sexual minority adults from across Australia were asked about a previous personal crisis where they had accessed, or had considered accessing, a crisis helpline service. While most responses indicated some familiarity with available services, only 30% (n=75) of participants had accessed a helpline service during a time of crisis. Despite a low rate of service uptake, many of those who had used a service evaluated it positively. The low rate of overall engagement was attributed to a fear of being discriminated against by helpline workers or arose from a concern that they would have insufficient understanding of LGBT-specific concerns to be able to render meaningful support. For helpline services to increase service uptake among sexual minority adults, it is recommended that outreach efforts be undertaken to dispel the negative perceptions about such services by sexual minority persons.

KEYWORDS:

• Sexual minority
• crisis helpline services
• crisis support services
• mental health
• discrimination
• sexuality

Acknowledgments

We wish to acknowledge the following people and organisations for their various feedback and input on this research: Sheila Dhalla, Lucy Abbot, Alan Woodward, Sarah Lambert, Daniel Mainville, Qlife, LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, ACON , Thorne Harbour Health, and Lifeline Australia.

Disclosure statement

One of the authors (Anna Brooks) works for Lifeline Australia, the funders of the research and an organisation which provides mental health crisis support services.

Data availability/data accessibility statement

Due to funding arrangements and the sensitive nature of this research, data are not available to be shared.

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the Lifeline Research Foundation

Notes on contributors

Gene Lim

Gene Lim is a Research Assistant at ARCSHS, La Trobe University and a PhD candidate at Monash University. Their PhD research project looks at the intersectionality of ethnicity, sexuality and a range of social outcomes, including HIV risk. Their other research projects have qualitatively examined how Bisexual People of Colour navigate communities of belonging. Their research interests include supporting Queer, Transgender and Intersex People of Colour, and in the psychosocial well-being of these groups.

Andrea Waling

Andrea Waling is an ARC DECRA Senior Research Fellow at Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health & Society (ARCSHS), La Trobe University. She specialises in in qualitative research methods, LGBTIQ+ issues, men and masculinity studies, bodies, raunch culture and sexualisation, and studies in gender and sexuality, and has a keen interest in research that supports marginalised communities. She has worked across or led a number LGBTI+-focused research projects addressing issues of lateral violence, and health and well-being in LGBTIQ+ communities.

Anthony Lyons

Anthony Lyons is an Associate Professor and Deputy Director at ARCSHS, La Trobe University. He has done a wealth of work with marginalised and stigmatised communities such as LGBTIQ+ individuals, and persons living with HIV. His work is multidisciplinary, bringing together public health, social psychology, health psychology, and positive psychology, with specialisation in a range of methods, including experimental designs and large national and multinational surveys.

Christopher A. Pepping

Chris Pepping is a Clinical Psychologist and Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology. His research focuses on LGBTIQ+ mental health and wellbeing, and the influence of close relationships on mental health in these populations. He has led many research projects focused on LGBTIQ+ mental health and wellbeing, including national surveys examining mental health needs and barriers to accessing psychological services among LGBTIQ+ Australians, and evaluations of psychological interventions specifically tailored to meet the needs of LGBTIQ+ individuals and couples.

Anna Brooks

Anna Brooks is the National Manager of the Lifeline Research Foundation. Lifeline Australia is the country’s largest suicide prevention service, operating a free phone hotline within 40 centres around the nation.

Adam Bourne

Adam Bourne is an Associate Professor and Deputy Director at ARCSHS, La Trobe University, and leads LGBTIQ+ health and well-being related research at the centre. His work centres on sexual health, health promotion and health inequalities. He is also an accomplished researcher in the fields of illicit substance use among Gay and Bisexual Men, and in HIV/STI research, and has published widely on the subject matter