Futures of substance
Exploring LGBTIQ+ people's determinations of ‘problematic’ use
2024
Gene Lim, Ruby Grant, Leonie Ryan, Adrian Farrugia, Ruth McNair , Adam Bourne
This study, conducted in partnership with Thorne Harbour Health, investigates lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) people’s experiences with and understandings of alcohol and other drug use, with a focus on how LGBTIQ+ people who use alcohol and other drugs come to view their use as a concern, and how they seek support.
We're seeking participants who:
- Identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and/or queer (or otherwise sexuality and/or gender diverse)
- Are 18 or older
- Have experienced/are experiencing difficulties with alcohol and/or drug use
- Have accessed support from a professionalized alcohol and/or drug service
What can I expect if I am selected to participate?
If you are selected to participate, you will be invited to take part in an interview.
Interviews can be conducted:
- In person at Thorne Harbour Health (200 Hoddle St, Abbotsford VIC 3067)
- Over Zoom/other teleconferencing software
- By phone
You are welcome to bring a friend of your choosing (human or otherwise!) to the interview, if assistance or support is needed.
This interview will cover a variety of topics relating to alcohol and/or drug use within a personal context, among LGBTIQ+ peers, as well as within the LGBTIQ+ community more broadly. We are particularly interested in understanding how LGBTIQ+ people make sense of their alcohol and other drug use, as well as how they conceptualize problematic alcohol and/or drug use and drug-related harms. An audio recording of the interview will be made for the purposes of data collection.
The entire interview is expected to take roughly 60-90 minutes.
Participants will receive a $50 MasterCard gift voucher after the completed interview as a thank-you for their time.
If you are not selected to participate in the interviews for this study, you will be notified by email. We will securely and permanently delete any contact details that you’ve provided us.
About the study
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals consume alcohol and other drugs (AODs) at higher rates than the rest of the population. This is partially due to their culturally important roles within some segments of the community. Additionally, for many LGBTQ+ people, AOD use can help foster disinhibition, self-realisation, community connection and even sexual pleasure.
This unique relationship to AOD use is also reflected in the ways that LGBTQ+ individuals come to understand their use of AOD as 'problematic' or 'unhealthy'. Until recently, most researchers and clinicians assumed that LGBTQ+ individuals were not different from non-LGBTQ+ individuals in this regard.
As you may know from your own experiences, the truth of this is far more complex. Hence, we want to capture the nuances of these differences, so that more can be done to support LGBTQ+ individuals in recognizing or identifying their difficulties with AOD use.
Findings from this study will contribute towards improving the support provided to LGBTIQ+ clients by alcohol and/or other drug services. The study aims to build service workers’ knowledge on the unique relationship that LGBTIQ+ individuals may have AOD and using that knowledge to support LGBTIQ+ individuals’ recognition of their own needs in terms of support with their AOD use.
These insights will not only improve LGBTIQ+ people’s access to AOD support services, but also provide service workers with greater understanding of the unique needs of LGBTIQ+ clients. Both factors will improve treatment outcomes for LGBTIQ+ individuals and reduce the negative impact that AOD has on the LGBTIQ+ community.
What are the risks?
As with any study, there will be: (i) risks that we know about, (ii) risks we don’t know about, and (iii) risks we don’t expect.
The main risk associated with participation is the potential for psychological or emotional discomfort or distress that arises from discussing topics relating to AOD use, mental health and sexuality and/or gender identity.
Secondly, while we will make every effort to remove all identifiable details, there is a slight risk that you could still be identified from the information you disclose during the interview. If this is a concern, you may wish to vet your own interview transcript, or withhold any information you think might give your identity away.
Lastly, if you discuss any intention to participate activities related to illicit drug possession, cultivation, and manufacture, trafficking, and conspiracy (but not consumption) which suggests that either you, or someone else may be in imminent danger, we may be required to report this to the relevant authorities.
Please understand that you have no obligation to disclose any such activities to us.
If you’re uncertain about the risks that participating in this study may involve, you can contact lead researcher Dr Gene Lim.
How will my confidentiality be protected?
All data will be stored by ARCSHS. Data collected will be scrubbed of any information that could compromise your privacy. This includes names, dates, locations, and specific personal details. Audio recordings, and documents with your personal particulars will be kept in a password-protected file only accessible to the study team via a La Trobe University-specific VPN.
Data from this study will be kept for 5 years after the project’s completion. After this time, we will securely dispose of all of your data. The storage, transfer and destruction of your data will be undertaken in accordance with La Trobe University’s Research Data Management Policy.
The personal information you provide will be handled in accordance with applicable privacy laws, any health information collected will be handled in accordance with the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). Subject to any exceptions in relevant laws, you have the right to access and correct your personal information by contacting the research team.
What if I change my mind?
You can choose to withdraw from the study at any point before the interview, during the interview, and up to the 4 weeks after your data has been collected. You can do so by:
- Completing and returning the Withdrawal of Consent form, or
- Contacting us via e-mail or phone
If you wish to withdraw during the interview, please inform your interviewer. The interview will stop, and your interviewer will assist you in completing the Withdrawal of Consent form.
Your decision to withdraw at any point will not affect your relationship with La Trobe University, Thorne Harbour Health, or any other organisation involved in this study.
By withdrawing, any identifiable information about you will be removed from the research study. However, once this data has been analysed, we can only redact information relating to your name and contact details. If results haven’t been analysed, you can choose if we use those results or not.
For further information
Dr. Gene Lim
Research Officer
glim@ltu.edu.au
Ethics Reference Number HEC24041
Senior Research Ethics Officer
+61 3 9479 1443
humanethics@latrobe.edu.au
Funding
This project is funded by the Alcohol and Drug Research Innovation Agenda (ADRIA), an initiative of the State Government of Victoria.