Alcohol and suicide: Insights from LGBTQ+ communities experiences
The Samaritans, with their partners in the VCSE Health & Wellbeing Alliance Suicide Prevention Consortium, have been exploring the relationship between alcohol and suicide for LGBTQ+ people in England in their own words.
They heard that people’s experiences of alcohol, suicide and self-harm are highly personal, with LGBTQ+ identities being just one lens in which some of their experiences can be viewed through.
The project highlighted that social norms, expectations and assumptions had a significant impact on the people they spoke to with this influencing drinking alcohol, suicidality or self-harm for some. They also found that community and connection is important for people’s sense of belonging and was one central mechanism influencing their experiences with drinking alcohol.
They want to see a more person-centered approach to healthcare which provides inclusive and joined up care to reduce alcohol related harms and suicide risk. This builds on the findings and recommendations from their 2022 report exploring alcohol and suicide.
