Supporting safe, sensitive reporting of suicide and mental health concerns in LGBTIQA+ communities

Australian media professionals now have access to a new quick reference guide featuring advice to support sensitive, respectful and safe communication about suicide and mental health concerns in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and other sexuality, gender, and bodily diverse (LGBTIQA+) communities.

The way media communicates about suicide and mental health concerns in these communities can have a profound impact. Developed in partnership with LGBTIQ+ Health Australia, Mindframe: A guide for reporting on suicide and mental health concerns in LGBTQIA+ communities features advice designed to empower media professionals to contribute to safer, more accurate and more sensitive public communication while reducing barriers to help-seeking.

ACCESS THIS NEW RESOURCE HERE

This quick reference guide includes tips and sections such as:

• Helpful ways of presenting information about suicide and mental health concerns.
• Sharing stories about how LGBTIQA+ people survive, live with, and manage suicidal thinking to promote hope and encourage others to seek help.
• Reporting the impact on individuals and communities to increase understanding about the experiences of people affected by suicide.
• Validating expressions of grief by LGBTIQA+ people along with memorials and anniversaries that facilitate bereavement processes and affirm connection with LGBTIQA+ communities.
• Why it is important to take care when using statistics on LGBTIQA+ suicide and mental health concerns.
• Advice for media when interviewing LGBTIQA+ individuals, family and chosen family.
• Glossary of important terms with context about their use.

It is recommended that this guide be in conjunction with the resource Reporting suicide and mental ill-health: A Mindframe resource for media professionals. Further language guidance can be found in the Our words matter: Guidelines for language use along with guidance for the use of images when illustrating stories relating to suicide or mental health concerns.