Mental health support experiences of rainbow rangatahi youth in Aotearoa New Zealand: results from a co-designed online survey

摘要

A substantial body of research documents high rates of mental health problems in rainbow communities, however little is known about the experiences of rainbow young people who access mental health support in New Zealand. Here, we present analysis of quantitative survey data from 955 rainbow and takatapui rangatahi (aged 14-24) collected in collaboration with rainbow community organisations. We find that rainbow rangatahi report mixed experiences in mental health settings and commonly worry about discrimination and lack of knowledge on the part of mental health professionals. We also report significant differences in mental health support experiences based on a range of demographic variables, including gender, intersex status, age, location, and ethnicity. Finally, we consider a range of actions mental health professionals can take to improve service provision, and how these findings can improve the quality of mental health support for Aotearoa's rainbow rangatahi.