Prout, Jacob2024-05-292024-05-292023https://hdl.handle.net/2440/141036This item is only available electronically.Objective: LGBTIQ+ Australians have substantially higher prevalence of mental health disorders than other members of the population. Despite increased risk and LGBTIQ+ persons accessing mental health care services at higher rates than heterosexual and cisgender people, the current literature suggests that many mainstream Australian mental health services and clinicians have insufficient training or experience to provide adequate care for LGBTIQ+ clients. Further, despite the importance of culturally competent care for LGBTIQ+ people, research examining mental health clinicians’ views and knowledge of LGBTIQ+ cultural competence is sparse. This study aimed to better understand mental health clinicians’ knowledge, definitions, perceptions and experiences concerning LGBTIQ+ cultural competence. Methods: Eighty mental health clinicians completed an online qualitative survey. Questions included demographics, professional training and experience and open-response questions about LGBTIQ+ cultural competency. Conventional content analysis was employed to analyse openresponse questions. Results: In total, 26 categories and 122 subcategories were generated that reflected clinicians’ understandings of LGBTIQ+ cultural competence, clinicians’ self-rated LGBTIQ+ cultural competence, challenges clinicians experienced related to LGBTIQ+ service provision, clinicians’ knowledge, attitudes, and actions to signal LGBTIQ+ affirming care and clinicians’ described methods of further developing LGBTIQ+ cultural competence. Conclusion: Australian mental health clinicians indicated that LGBTIQ+ cultural competence was an ongoing learning process, with many rating their competence as moderate. They displayed knowledge, attitudes, and actions that align with established competence guidelines for safe, affirming engagement with LGBTIQ+ clients. Recommendations to enhance the teaching of LGBTIQ+ cultural competence and improve clinician practice are provided. Keywords: LGBTIQ+; mental health clinicians; psychologist; cultural competence; content analysisMasters; Psychology; ClinicalThesis