Browse study websites

Discover. Prevent. Cure.

Menu Fundraise Donate

    Recommended pages

      Do you mean

        Suicide prevention guidelines for LGBTQA+ young people

        Full Title: Suicide prevention in LGBTQA+ young people: Best practice guidelines for clinical and community service providers.

        Investigators: Dr Penelope Strauss, Dr Nicole Hill, Larissa Marion, Dylan Gilbey, Zoe Waters, Dr Julie Moore, Marco Costanza, Michelle Lamblin, Associate Professor Jo Robinson, Professor Ashleigh Lin and Dr Yael Perry

        While many LGBTQA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and/or gender diverse, queer/questioning, asexual and other diverse sexualities and genders) young people experience happy and healthy lives, evidence has shown that LGBTQA+ young people experience elevated rates of mental health difficulties, suicidal thoughts and behaviour relative to their heterosexual and cisgender peers.

        Indeed, more than a quarter of LGBTQA+ young people have attempted suicide in their lifetime, almost five times the rate reported in the general population.  These experiences are compounded by poor access to and engagement with services, which are often poorly equipped to cater to the specific needs of LGBTQA+ youth. While specialised LGBTQA+ and peer-led services offer tailored support for this community, there is insufficient supply to meet the demand, and all LGBTQA+ young people should have the opportunity to receive safe and inclusive care from mainstream providers.

        This project aimed to develop a set of guidelines outlining best practice for suicide prevention in LGBTQA+ young people, targeting both clinical and community service providers. Implementation of these guidelines in service settings throughout Australia has the potential to improve the care received by LGBTQA+ young people who are experiencing suicidal ideation and/or engaging in suicidal behaviours. Of note, the first section of the guidelines is soley focussed on general principles to create an affirming and inclusive environment for LGBTQA+ young people, and will be relevant to anyone who engages with young people in a professional context.

        LGBTQA+ Suicide Prevention Guidelines - LR.png

        Suicide prevention in LGBTQA+ young people - Full Report PDF (5MB)

        Part I: General principles for creating an affirming and inclusive environment PDF  (1.5MB)

        Part II: Assessing suicide risk and working with suicidal LGBTQA+ young people PDF (1MB)

        Part III: Considerations for specific LGBTQA+ populations PDF (1MB)

        Part IV: Advocating for LGBTQA+ young people PDF (0.5MB)

        implementation-plan.png glossary.png important-dates.png resources.png
        How to use the guidelines Glossary Important Dates Resources

        logos-cropped-lgbtqa+.png

        Suggested citation: Strauss, P., Hill, N.T.M., Marion, L., Gilbey, D., Waters, Z., Moore, J.K., Costanza, M., Lamblin, M., Robinson, J., Lin, A., Perry, Y. (2022). Suicide prevention in LGBTQA+ young people: best practice guidelines for clinical and community service providers. Telethon Kids Institute: Perth, Australia.

        This project was supported by a Cockell Research Collaboration Award from the Raine Foundation, and the AMP Foundation. These guidelines have been endorsed by the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health.

        Our Investigators

        Penelope Strauss

        BA, MPH, PhD

        Research Fellow in Youth Suicide Prevention

        Available for supervision

        08 6319 1297 Email me

        Larissa Marion

        BPsych(Hons)

        Research Assistant & PhD Student

        Email me

        Zoe Waters

        BSc (Hons)

        PhD Candidate

        Email me

        Yael Perry

        BPsych (Hons) MPsych (Clin) PhD

        Acting Program Head, Mental Health & Youth; Head, Youth Mental Health and Senior Research Fellow

        Available for supervision

        08 6319 1298 Email me
        MEDIA ENQUIRIES

        Media Contacts

        Please direct general enquiries to our reception on (08) 6319 1000.

        Please direct media enquiries to our media team:

        Sarah Best
        Manager, Media & Content, Telethon Kids Institute
        Phone: 0437 575 875
        Email: sarah.best@telethonkids.org.au

        Tamara Hunter
        Senior Communications Officer, Telethon Kids Institute
        Phone: 08 6319 1644 (office) or 0459 859 126 (mobile)
        Email: tamara.hunter@telethonkids.org.au

        • Who should use these guidelines?

          Anyone working in a role where they support the mental health of young people, regardless of if they specifically work with LGBTQA+ young people (as professionals may be unaware of clients’ identity and should create an environment welcome to all young people).

          This may include:

          • Mental health professionals (e.g., psychologists, psychiatrists, counsellors, mental health nurses, school psychologists)
          • Medical professionals (e.g., general practitioners, adolescent health physicians, nurses, dentists, physiotherapists, and other allied health practitioners)
          • Youth workers
          • Social workers
          • Administrative and auxiliary staff may find Part I and Part IV of these guidelines useful
          • These guidelines, or some parts of these guidelines, may be informative for individuals working in roles where they frequently interact with young people, but are not in a formal mental health role (e.g., teachers, human services)
        • When should these guidelines be used?

          Before seeing an LGBTQA+ young person: These guidelines provide many recommendations for how to make an environment more inclusive and open to LGBTQA+ young people; these steps ideally should be implemented within a service/organisation.

          When engaged with an LGBTQA+ young person: Regardless of if a young person you are supporting is currently experiencing suicidal thoughts and/or behaviour, these guidelines are designed to assist in creating a strong therapeutic alliance with the young person that will enable more timely and effective suicide prevention support if needed.

          When seeing an LGBTQA+ young person experiencing suicidal thoughts and/or behaviour: These guidelines provide clear actions on how to respond to an LGBTQA+ young person experiencing suicidal thoughts and/or behaviour, to improve your support of the young person.

        Some of the topics discussed in this report may be distressing for some individuals. Please reach out for support if you are feeling distressed.

        Thanks to all who joined us for the official launch of the Suicide prevention guidelines for LGBTQA+ young people. Hosted on August 24, 2022, we were joined by a wonderful panel to discuss the creation and application of these guidelines, featuring:

        • Prof Ashleigh Lin - Host and Program Head, Mental Health and Youth at Telethon Kids Institute

        • Dr Yael Perry – Lead Researcher and Co-Head, Youth Mental Health at Telethon Kids Institute

        • Jennifer Griffiths – Clinical Specialist, A/Director/Consultant Clinical Psychologist, YouthLink

        • Charlotte Glance - LGBTQA+ Youth Advocate, Youth Pride Network Project & Policy Manager

        Did you ask a question but we ran out of time to answer? View our supplementary Q&A answers, provided by Telethon Kids researchers, which cover any questions we didn’t get to during the webinar.