“It’s better to have support”: Understanding wellbeing and support needs of gender and sexuality diverse migrants in Australia
Date
2020
Authors
Aiyar, Ria
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Abstract
Australia is considered a diverse community, home to many migrants from across the
globe. Within this migrant population, are a relatively overlooked and under-researched
group – people who are gender or sexuality diverse. Research has shown that people with
migrant backgrounds often have poorer wellbeing than the general population. The same is
often true of people who are gender and sexuality diverse. However, there remains little
information concerning the wellbeing needs and the barriers and facilitators to support for
this group, particularly in the Australian context. The current study aimed to fill these gaps
through understanding gender and sexuality diverse migrant perceptions of wellbeing,
migration-related factors which affect wellbeing, and the barriers and facilitators to accessing
support in Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 gender and sexuality
diverse migrants from Bangladesh, Brazil, Central Europe, Iran, Malaysia, Pakistan and the
Philippines. Results were analysed through thematic analysis and findings were discussed
using Bronfenbrenner’s (1981) socioecological model (SEM). Themes highlighted how the
various factors affecting wellbeing at different levels of the SEM, intertwine to impact overall
wellbeing, how gender, sexuality and migration-related experiences shape wellbeing and the
importance of social connections to wellbeing. Participants also discussed the barriers and
facilitators to finding information for support, accessing inclusive services, accessing services
eligible to them, and access to providers whose identities mirrored participants’ own
identities. Findings from this study will assist with the improvement of current services and
guide the implementation of new services which seek to directly support this group of people.
School/Discipline
School of Psychology
Dissertation Note
Thesis (B.PsychSc(Hons)) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 2020
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