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QUCL - Research on Sexual and Gender diversity at UCL

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qUCL: Multiple Minority Identities & Mental Health

15 November 2022, 12:00 pm–1:30 pm

blurred red and blue images, photo by joshua fuller on Unsplash

A mixed-methods approach to addressing health inequalities

Event Information

Open to

All

Availability

Yes

Organiser

qUCL

Location

IAS Forum
G17, Ground Floor, South Wing
UCL, Gower St, London
WC1E 6BT
United Kingdom

Sexual and gender minority individuals have substantially higher risk for poorer health and wellbeing, and higher rates of adverse health-related behaviours. In Europe, most of this evidence comes from studies conducted with White participants. Less is known about health in individuals who identify with sexual and ethnic minority identities. We designed a mixed methods study to address this research gap. 

The qualitative component of this study is based on interviews with 29 young individuals who identify as being both ethnic and sexual/gender minority and resident in the UK. Dominant findings include participants experiencing high levels of mental ill-health, a severe lack of appropriate mental health support, and significant discrimination from within the sexual minority community including stereotyping and racism. Participants described physical rejection from LGBTQ+ spaces as well as a more general lack of representation in the LGBTQ+ community, and the need for ethnic minority specific queer spaces. 

We recently published results from the quantitative component. Using an intersectional framework, we examined whether dual sexual- and ethnic-identities are associated with a wide range of health and health-related behaviours in a nationally representative population of 9,789 adolescents aged 17 years from the UK-wide Millennium Cohort Study. During this seminar, we will present key results from this mixed methods study, highlighting how lived experiences, identities and the intersection of these impact health and wellbeing. We will also talk about possible policy implications and avenues for future research.

This study is a collaborative project between the MRC Unit of Lifelong Health and Ageing at UCL and the Social Research Institute at UCL (Co-PIs Dr Amal R. Khanolkar & Dr Victoria Redclift).

Photo by Joshua Fuller on Unsplash

About the Speakers

Dr Amal Khanolkar

Research Fellow at UCL, KCL & Karolinska Institutet

More about Dr Amal Khanolkar

Dr Victoria Redclift

Associate Professor of Political Sociology at UCL IOE - Social Research Institute

Victoria Redclift's research interests are in the sociology of migration with particular focus on citizenship and political exclusion. Her work is orientated around four main areas:

  • Citizenship and statelessness - particularly as they relate to conditions of colonialism and coloniality
  • The intersections of 'race', class and gender in the reproduction of political exclusion
  • Diaspora and transnationalism
  • Intra-minority identity, hidden minorities and racialized health inequality
More about Dr Victoria Redclift