Drug Use Amongst Members of LGBTQ+ Communities in Northern Ireland

Research examining drug use within Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, Queer (LGBTQ+) communities in Northern Ireland (NI) is limited (Rooney 2012), despite concerns that this is a high-risk population for exposure to drug-related harms. Recent research has also started to consider alternative theoretical approaches to understanding drug consumption and associated behaviours. This research will contribute toward current theoretical understanding of drug consumption, to consider the individual's pursuit of enhancement as a primary motivator in their actions. This understanding will impact upon existing knowledge of risk negotiation and enhancement, and how individual consideration of these concepts can be used to understand drug use behaviours.
Rooney's (2012) mixed-methods study 'All Partied Out' is the most up-to-date publication examining drug use within LGBTQ+ communities in NI. The research used focus groups, an online survey and interviews to examine the issue and a key finding was that members of LGBTQ+ communities were substantially more likely to use drugs than the general NI population, with 66% vs 22% difference in having used an illegal drug in their lifetime. Depressants and opiates were the most common substances used by LGBTQ+ communities, leading Rooney (2012) to conclude that drugs were used for self-medication, rather than leisure. The collaboration with TRP will allow for indirect cross-sectional comparisons with Rooney's (2012) findings, to examine how drug use among LGBTQ+ communities in NI has developed over the past decade. Importantly, this study will also include an examination of their experiences with drug treatment and support services which has not been previously researched in NI.
The research will utilise a sequential mixed-methods design with four stages: focus groups with service providers; non-participant observations of The Rainbow Project staff; a survey with members of the LGBTQ+ community; and semi-structured interviews with service users. These methods will collect rich and valuable data. Importantly, this research has a unique collaborative partnership with The Rainbow Project and the Department of Health in NI which will facilitate access and engagement with both service users and providers.
Research findings will provide deep and unique insight into patterns of drug use within the LGBTQ+ community in NI and their experiences with drug treatment and support services. This knowledge and understanding will help to inform drug policy, practices and service provision at a local, national and international level. Findings will also contribute to wider theoretical discussions surrounding motivation, individual agency and negotiating the tensions between risk and enhancement in the spheres of leisure and pleasure.