Experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals with mental health services in rural Saskatchewan

Abstract

There has been limited empirical documentation analyzing whether the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals with mental health services in rural Saskatchewan have been positive or negative, and what needs to be improved. This study looked at the experiences of 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals reaching out for mental health services and provided empirical evidence about what factors contribute to their satisfaction or dissatisfaction with services. To better understand these experiences, three individuals who identified as being part of the queer community were interviewed. Interviews were analyzed thematically. Participants outlined the aspects of their experiences with mental health services that made the experiences positive or negative and suggested improvements that can be made to current mental health programming such as increased mental health education, implementation of queer safe spaces, and queer specific counsellor training. Participants also discussed the lack of accessible and available mental health resources in rural Saskatchewan and provided recommendations to increase access to services such as transportation to city centers and better advertising of local programs. Overall, this research allowed us to see how mental health programming for queer people in rural Saskatchewan could be improved and whether there is a demand for mental health services uniquely tailored to the queer community.