The health and well-being of LGBT+ military personnel and Veterans

To date, there is limited peer-reviewed research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer, and other sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+) experiences in the United Kingdom Armed Forces (UKAF), especially those who served after the ban on LGBTQ+ personnel serving openly was lifted in 2000. While research focusing on LGBTQ+ personnel who served during the ban is critical, it may not encapsulate the experiences of LGBTQ+ personnel who joined and served post-ban. To our knowledge, this project is the first of its kind to solely focus on LGBTQ+ UKAF personnel in the post-ban era and is of critical importance to understanding more about the UK LGBTQ+ military population. The overarching aim of this project is to bridge this gap in research by examining health and well-being outcomes and experiences of Serving and ex-Serving LGBTQ+ UKAF personnel who joined in the post-ban era (2000 onwards). This project utilises a mixed-methods approach and encompasses a narrative systematic review, a quantitative study, and a qualitative study.

This research study aims to quantitatively explore the prevalence rates of health and well-being outcomes among UK LGBTQ+ Serving and ex-Serving military members, along with the risk and protective factors influencing these outcomes; understand the perceptions and experiences of UK LGBTQ+ Serving and ex-Serving military members through the lens of health and well-being using semi-structured qualitative interviews.

Utilising quantitative data from the King's Centre for Military Health Research (KCMHR) cohort study and qualitatively interviewing participants. The interviews will include semi-structured questions related to help-seeking behaviours, relationships with others in unit, commanding officers, and family, perceived discrimination, acceptance and discrimination, bullying and harassment, managing identities, help-seeking, and disclosure during service, and the transition to civilian life, and more.

• 1) To quantitatively explore the prevalence rates of health and wellbeing outcomes among UK LGBTQ+ serving and ex-serving military members, along with the risk and protective factors influencing these outcomes.

• 2)  To understand the perceptions and experiences of UK LGBTQ+ serving and ex-serving military members through the lens of health and wellbeing using semi-structured qualitative interviews.

Anyone who identifies as LGBTQ+ and served in the UK military following the lifting of the ban on LGBTQ+ individuals serving openly. The quantitative numbers will be determined by the amount of individuals who endorsed this question on Phase 4 of the KCMHR cohort study and the qualitative target is 30-40 for interviews.