LGBTQA+ Mental Health and Suicidality: Australian Capital Territory Briefing Paper

<p dir="ltr">Suicidality and mental ill-health are serious concerns that impact all parts of the population in Australia, although some are disproportionately affected. LGBTQA+ people are recognised in numerous Commonwealth, State and Territory mental health and suicide prevention strategies or action plans.</p><p dir="ltr">However, LGBTQA+ people continue to face barriers to accessing affirming healthcare and, to-date, limited comprehensive data exists on the mental health and healthcare experiences of LGBTQA+ people. This briefing paper outlines findings from three major surveys of LGBTQA+ people and aims to:</p><ol><li>Highlight the extent and nature of mental ill-health and suicidality among LGBTQA+ young people and adults in Australian Capital Territory (ACT).</li><li>Explore the factors that can put people at greater risk of suicide or mental ill-health, as well as those that reduce their risk of suicide.</li><li>Examine mental health service engagement and preferences among LGBTQA+ people in ACT.</li><li>Draw comparisons between experience of LGBTQA+ people in ACT compared to other jurisdictions in Australia, and where possible, comparisons between LGBTQA+ people in ACT to the general population using the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS; 2022-2022).</li></ol><p></p>