Edinburgh Napier University

  Queer Futures 2 is a large national UK study to identify and evaluate early intervention mental health support and services for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning+ (LGBTQ+) young people. Funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), the research project is being run by the Universities of Brighton, Lancaster, Leeds and Manchester in close collaboration with LGBTQ+ young people and an advisory group from the health, education and voluntary sectors. The study is led by Professor Elizabeth McDermott at Lancaster University and will produce NHS commissioning guidance.

LGBTQ+ young people are more likely to suffer from depression, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and poor mental health than heterosexual or cis young people.

In the largest UK research study conducted so far, young people who were LGBT and under 35 years old were two times more likely to have poor mental health compared to heterosexual young people. Despite having more mental health problems, LGBT young people are reluctant to seek help from mental health services, and when they do, they often find them unhelpful.

There is very little research on LGBTQ+ young people and mental health services and, as a result, their mental health support needs are not fully understood.