Researchers from Queensland’s Griffith University are performing research into the causes of suicide among gay, lesbian, transgender, bisexual and intersex people. Doctor Delaney Skerrett of the Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, the study’s lead researcher, said he was prompted by a lack of statistics surrounding LGBTI suicides in the Queensland Suicide Register. The study, funded by beyondblue, is the first of its kind in Australia and is the first to investigate the factors surrounding suicide deaths in LGBTI people in approximately thirty years.

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The research will include interviews with the aim of determining whether a person’s gender identity or sexuality has an impact on their decision to commit suicide. John Mikelsons, executive director of the Queensland AIDS Council at the Queensland Association for Healthy Communities, said that the QAHC is proud to be a partner with Griffith University on the study and that the research is incredibly important.

“With such high levels of mental illness, caused by the stigma and discrimination we face every day, it isn’t too much of a stretch to imagine that the LGBTI community are committing suicide at higher rates too.”

He also stated that in Queensland, LGBTI people have higher suicidality and self harm rates and poorer mental health outcomes than the rest of the population. He said that 20 per cent of heterosexual people have had a mental disorder in the past twelve months, compared with 41 percent of gay and bisexual people. This is higher than any other demographic.

According to Mikelsons, “This is particularly important among transgender people where we estimate that more than a third currently meet the criteria for experiencing a major depressive episode, roughly one-fifth report current suicide ideation, and half of whom we believe have attempted suicide at least once in their life.

“The poor mental health of the LGTBI Community is a serious crisis that needs society’s attention,” he said.

The researchers are currently looking for people who knew an LGBTI person that died by suicide to be interviewed.
To participate in this study please contact Dr Delaney Skerrett on (07) 3735 3393 or via email on d.skerrett@griffith.edu.au or SMS on 0478 312669.

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