Writing Themselves In 4

In 2019, the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society (ARCSHS) at La Trobe University, with support from Rainbow Health Australia and Rainbow Network, surveyed 6,418 LGBTQA+ people aged 14 to 21 about their experiences with education, homelessness, harassment, assault, mental health, community connections, and more. This landmark study is the largest of its kind ever conducted in Australia, providing an unprecedented insight into the lives of LGBTQA+ young people.

The national report presents these findings alongside key recommendations for action.

Summary reports

These reports summarise key findings from Writing Themselves In 4 that are specific to the participants who were residents in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), New South Wales (NSW), South Australia (SA) and Victoria (VIC) at the time of completion. They are designed to complement the national report by providing data relating to specific topics broken down at the state/territory level.

These reports cover issues that can at times represent challenges for LGBTIQA+ young people (such as mental health, discrimination or abuse) as well as aspects of life that can enhance health and wellbeing (such as supportive relationships and community engagement).

Writing Themselves In:

• New South Wales summary report (PDF, 5MB)
• South Australian summary report (PDF, 5MB)
• Victorian summary report (PDF, 5MB)
• Australian Capital Territory summary report (PDF, 5MB)

For access to these reports in an alternative format, please contact us.

Additional analyses and outputs

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTQA+ factsheets
• Rainbow Realities
• Violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation of LGBTQA+ people with disability: a secondary analysis of data from two national surveys.

Journal articles

The Writing Themselves In 4 research team is currently preparing a range of journal articles that focus in on specific issues in more detail. These will be added to this webpage as they are published online.

If you are unable to access the links below, please contact arcshs@latrobe.edu.au.

• Mental health and wellbeing outcomes associated with social, medical, and legal gender affirmation among trans young people in Australia
  This study examined the correlations between different types of gender affirmation - medical, legal and social - and various health and wellbeing outcomes among trans young people in Australia.
• Psychological distress mediates the link between bullying and truancy in Australian LGBQ+ adolescents with experiences of homelessness
  Homeless LGBQ+ youth were found to face high levels of bullying at school, which leads to increased distress and higher truancy rates. This study suggests that addressing bullying and supporting these youth are crucial for helping them stay engaged in their education and reducing the risk of future homelessness.
• Affirmation, friendship, and volunteerism: Understanding and facilitating what makes LGBTQA+ young people feel good about themselves
  This qualitative study analysed the open-text responses of 4751 young people in response to the question 'What makes you feel good about yourself?’ The findings suggest the importance of ensuring access to mental health services and social/support programs while also acknowledging young people’s agency and the significance of everyday, informal acts which support them to achieve desires for connection, acceptance, contribution, belonging and self-expression.
• Demographic predictors of experiences of homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, gender-diverse and queer-identifying (LGBTIQ) young people in Australia
  This study identified factors associated with both lifetime and recent experiences of homelessness among LGBTQA+ youth. Analyses also found associations between recent experiences of homelessness and experiences of harassment, alcohol consumption, and psychological distress.
• Factors Associated With Experiences of Harassment or Abuse Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and Asexual Young People With Disability in Australia
  A large proportion of this sample of LGBTQA+ young people with disability reported experiences of verbal, physical, and sexual abuse based on their sexual orientation or gender identity in the past 12 months. The study explores factors associated with these experiences and highlights an urgent need for preventing and addressing experiences of abuse in this population.
• Affirming educational and workplace settings are associated with positive mental health and happiness outcomes for LGBTQA+ youth in Australia
  LGBTQA+ young people who report being a part of an affirming educational institution or workplace experience, not only lower psychological distress, but also greater subjective happiness. These findings were true for both cisgender sexual minority and trans and gender diverse young people.
• Demographic Predictors of Experiences of Homelessness among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Gender-Diverse and Queer-Identifying (LGBTIQ) Young People in Australia
  Experiencing homelessness was associated with higher levels of alcohol consumption and higher prevalence of experiencing verbal, physical and sexual harassment, but only modestly associated with higher levels of psychological distress. Homelessness risk and burden is unevenly distributed among LGBTQ+ youth and is linked to outcomes which may potentiate future homelessness.
• Religious Conversion Practices and LGBTQA + Youth
  This paper examines how the experience of conversion practices aimed at changing a young person’s sexuality or gender identity is associated with poor mental health outcomes, providing evidence in support of legislation that bans these practices.
• Suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, queer and asexual youth
  This paper examines the factors and forces that shape the experience of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt among this group of young people within the Writing Themselves In 4 sample. It describes how verbal, physical and/or sexual harassment or assault are strongly associated with an increased likelihood of suicidal ideation or attempt. The paper also demonstrates how those from a religious family or household, and those living in regional or rural areas were more likely to have this experience.
• Illicit drug use among lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, trans and gender diverse, queer and asexual young people in Australia: intersections and associated outcomes.
  This paper examines the patterns of illicit drug use among LGBTQA+ young people, including who might be most likely to perceive their own use as problematic.

Key figures slide set

This slide set provides an accessible means of utilising key figures and data included in the Writing Themselves In 4 National Report. The slides are available to download under a CC-By attribution for use in presentations relating to LGBTQA+ health and social wellbeing. Individual slides can be copied in their entirety but should not be edited, and must be attributed to ARCSHS.

Animated video

Replay the launch webinar

The launch event features two keynote presentations:

1. The study's lead researcher Associate Professor, Adam Bourne to present the key findings
2. Is from co-author Marina Carman, Director of Rainbow Health Australia.

Thank you to our panelists:

Highlights from the media

• "Coming out is getting easier for LGBTQA+ youth, but not for everyone" an article from ABC News Online
• "National survey finds safety and affirmation essential fundamental needs for LGBTQA+ young people" an article from ABC News Online
• "Tips for looking for roommates as an LGBTQI+ person" an article from ABC Everyday interviewing lead investigator Associate Professor Adam Bourne on the study findings and community board advisor Starlady
• Well Well Well on JOYFM a podcast interviewing in depth the lead investigator Associate Professor Adam Bourne
• Queer View Mirror on RRRFM a podcast interviewing two young trans and queer advocates and the lead investigator Associate Professor Adam Bourne discussing the findings of Writing Themselves In 4.
• "Over 80 percent of LGBTQA+ young people experience high levels of psychological distress, new aussie survey finds Mental health crisis among young LGBTQA Australians" an article from MTV News Australia.

Funding

Writing Themselves In 4 received generous support from:

• The Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet
• The Australian Capital Territory Government Office for LGBTIQ+ Affairs
• The New South Wales Department of Health
• SHINE SA, with support from the Office of the Chief Psychiatrist in South Australia.

Researchers

Adam O. Hill, Anthony Lyons, Jami Jones, Ivy McGowan, Marina Carman, Matthew Parsons, Jennifer Power, Adam Bourne