About the project
A large amount of data indicates that LGBTQ+ people still experience higher rates of mental health issues, struggle with problematic substance use, are victims of violence, and that these issues are often interconnected. Engagement with and seeking help from formal health care services is a significant protective factor against the development and exacerbation of victimisation and negative health outcomes. Yet, many LGBTQ+ people choose not to be open about their identity in interactions with health care services, find it difficult to ask for help, meet barriers in negotiating their identities when faced with normative structures, or do not seek help due to fear of discrimination, prejudice, or lack of competence from health care and victim-service providers. The current review will deepen our understanding of disparities in LGBTQ+ people’s health, health-seeking behaviours, experiences with health care and barriers to care.
Objectives
The project aims to explore:
- To what degree do LGBTQ+ people seek and receive health care relating to mental health, violence, and substance use problems?
- How do LGBTQ+ people experience interactions with health care services?
- What structural, institutional, and individual barriers do LGBTQ+ people experience when seeking and receiving health care related to mental health, substance use problems and violence?
- What factors predict health-seeking behaviours and outcomes of health care utilisation for LGBTQ+ people?
- What gaps exist in the literature on LGBTQ+ health-seeking behaviour in relation to mental health, violence, and substance use problems?
To answer these questions, we will conduct a systematic literature search resulting in a Norwegian knowledge report and two scoping review articles of quantitative and qualitative literature to be published in peer-reviewed international journals. We will disseminate the findings through online and national media channels, and a seminar for civil society, academia, students and health care service providers. This will increase our knowledge and awareness of determinants for mental health and quality of life in the LGBTQ+ population, fill existing knowledge-gaps and promote more equitable health care services by informing future research, policy changes and clinical practice.
Project leaders
Project leader: Nantje Fischer
Co-Principal investigators: Anna Ivanova, Stine Nygård
Financing
The Norwegian Directorate of Health - Grant 870428 Psykisk helse og livskvalitet - kjønns- og seksualitetsmangfold (lhbt+) [Mental Health and Quality of Life - Gender and Sexual Diversity (LGBT+)] (ref. 23/15154)
Cooperation
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University
Public involvement is secured through input to search-terms from community-based organizations, other Norwegian knowledge centres and the Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs.
Start-End
2023-2024