Lean on me: Exploring suicide prevention and mental health-related peer support in Melbourne’s LGBTQ communities

Lean on Me demonstrates that the responsibility for providing suicide prevention in LGBTQ communities in Melbourne, Australia, frequently falls on peers with little or no training in responding to a mental health crisis. This report explores how LGBTQ individuals experiencing mental health concerns turn to their peers. Those being leant on provide crucial support. In some cases, they very likely save the lives of their fellow community members. Providing informal mental health-related support, however, can impact on a peer’s own wellbeing, even leading to burnout. This report highlights a need for strategies to reduce levels of mental ill health in LGBTQ communities and ensure that informal support roles are sustainable.