Social exclusion and suicidal distress in LGBTQ+ communities in Brighton & Hove

How do different groups of LGBTQ people in Brighton & Hove form collective
responses to suicide, how is this tempered by intra-community social exclusion, and what is the impact
of third-sector involvement in forming these responses?
Context: Rates of suicide in Brighton & Hove are significantly higher than the national average (PHE
2019) and LGBTQ suicide completions occur at a higher rate than expected from population estimates
(Brighton & Hove City Council 2018), despite the existence of specialist LGBTQ suicide prevention
services.
Methodology: A three-stage research project. In the Masters stage I will use creative methodologies to
explore the social relations of trans adults unconnected to specialist services. In the first year of PhD
research I will update the 2007 report by the University of Brighton, MindOut and Allsorts alongside
smaller groups to explore how institutional responses to suicide impact patterns of social exclusion and
whether these interventions collectivise community responses to suicide. In the second year of PhD
research I will mix quantitative and relational mapping techniques with LGBTQ individuals to explore how
informal networks of support and exclusion affect responses to suicide.
Outcomes: Interventions into both local and national social policies concerning LGBTQ suicide. This will
include the 2015 Brighton & Hove Trans Needs Assessment and whether the protective factors listed
around trans suicide have been met. It will further explore the results of the Brighton & Hove Suicide
Action Plan, which focusses on preventative actions and awareness as a focus for LGBTQ suicide.