Aisling Curtis | Senior Staff Writer
Trinity’s School of Nursing and Midwifery will carry out a survey to assess the mental health and wellbeing of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in the Republic of Ireland. The research hopes to expose the current status of LGBTI issues, improve the lives of the LGBTI community, and shape the development of consequent Irish policy.
Headed by Professor Agnes Higgins of the School of Nursing & Midwifery, the study has been commissioned by the Gay and Lesbian Equality Network (GLEN) and BeLonG To, the national organisation for LGBT young people, and is funded by the National Office for Suicide Prevention. It intends to expand upon a similar study published in 2009, Supporting LGBT Lives, which has been instrumental in improving health, education and youth services for the Irish LGBTI community.
The criteria for participation are that the person be fourteen years or over, currently living in the Republic of Ireland, and that they identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex. It is utterly confidential, and includes questions relating to anxiety, depression, self-harm and substance abuse.
Speaking to The University Times, Craig Dwyer, GLEN’s policy and programmes officer, explained that contemporary research is required to ensure that “any new strategic approaches … are addressing up-to-date or prioritised needs”. He hopes that the findings will allow an increased understanding of “the factors which give rise to homophobic and transphobic behaviours and attitudes in an Irish context”, and identify which recommendations from the Supporting LGBT Lives study should continue or cease. The study also intends to identify methods of suicide prevention for LGBTI young people, specifically focusing on those considered at risk of suicidal behaviour.
For more information or to fill out the study, visit LGBTI Ireland.
