SUICIDE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT PROGRAMMES FOR LGBTQ+ PEOPLE IN THE UK: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

Abstract

The LGBTQ+ community in the UK makes up about 7% of the young people aged between 16 and 24. However, the number could be higher as some do not publicly disclose their sexuality. In general, the risk of suicide, substance abuse and mental health disorders is significantly high among the LGBTQ+ compared to the general population. Therefore, this research aimed to identify the reasons contributing to the high prevalence of suicide in the UK among the LGBTQ+ community and examine the factors affecting the efficacy of existing suicide prevention programmes. The study used a narrative literature review using 21 journal articles identified from Scopus, Medline, Web of Science, JSTOR and PubMed. The findings indicate that suicide prevention programmes for the LGBTQ+ in the UK have not been as effective as they could be because they do not address the specific needs of sexual minorities. The study proposes the regulation, evaluation, and monitoring to ensure that the programmes identify and provide adequate services to at-risk groups.