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Community Knowledge Exchange Projects Archive
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Brighton & Sussex Community Knowledge Exchange
‘We’re here, we’re queer…. but why are we killing ourselves?: Research into the nature of suicidal distress in the LGBT community
Research has shown that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) individuals have a higher risk of self-harm, suicidal thoughts and mental distress than heterosexuals. In the 2001 Brighton and Hove Count Me In survey 40 per cent of LGBT individuals who responded had considered suicide and about 20 per cent had attempted it.
To improve local services, there needs to be greater understanding of the reasons – personal and societal - behind such distress. This project, a partnership between the University of Brighton and MindOut (a local LGBT mental health service run by Mind), will be two-stage. Phase 1, supported by a £9000 BSCKE grant, will study the meaning and experiences of self-harm and suicidal distress. The results will inform suicide prevention strategies at local and national levels and contribute to national/international understanding of LGBT lives.
The findings will support the work of a local MindOut development worker, funded by the National Institute for Mental Health England, and contribute to the development of an MSc in Psychosocial Studies in the university’s School of Applied Social Science.
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