Thammasat University shines spotlight on LGBT+ stigma and health inequity
Researchers at Thammasat University are working to make national and international research methods and models relevant to LGBT+ Thai populations
Social stigmatisation against LGBT+ people can create a barrier to health care and can hurt their health outcomes – particularly mental health, says Priyoth Kittiteerasack, head of Thammasat University’s Research Unit in Health, Educational and Social Equity in Sexual and Gender Diversity. Kittiteerasack is also assistant dean for international, research and communication affairs in the university’s Faculty of Nursing.
Diverse sexual orientations and gender identities stopped being classified as a permanent mental disorder in Thailand in 2002, but Thai LGBT+ populations still face social stigma that creates minority-specific stressors. “We want to create a body of research that demonstrates the effect of this stigma to show people what is happening in the LGBT+ community, as well as be a voice for the LGBT+ people in Thailand,” Kittiteerasack says.
Thammasat University’s LGBT+ research unit aims to “explore the contributing factors of health and social inequity among the LGBT+ people and disseminate this knowledge”. The unit, established two years ago, comprises researchers from the faculties of nursing, allied health science, and learning sciences and education.
However, much of the research into LGBT+ communities has been conducted in Western countries. “We need more LGBT+ knowledge that reflects the culture and contexts in which they live. In Thailand, we still face many gaps that limit our research studies,” Kittiteerasack says.
The unit is committed to developing and applying international research methodologies, theoretical frameworks, standardised scales and best practices in research in Thailand. “With this strategy, we aim to conduct robust studies to raise the standard of research results being on par with other countries but still maintain the cultural sensitivity of Thai LGBT+ individuals,” Kittiteerasack says.
The unit is making headway in terms of publications. Its researchers have published articles on measurement translation and validation, as well as the impact of minority stress on mental health disparities among various groups of LGBT+ individuals, such as adolescents, university students, adults and aging populations.
“The unit is active in a number of research projects,” says Kittiteerasack. “Most of our studies have been conducted in collaboration with researchers from many countries – such as the US, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea, Sweden and the Philippines – and leading organisations including Save the Children, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation, and other universities.”
In the future, Kittiteerasack would like to see the unit’s work moving beyond research. “As we work to create more research, be a voice for LGBT+ populations and a resource for scholars, we hope to make people understand the impact of stigma and how we can change it,” he says. The unit hopes to change perspectives on sex and gender-related stereotypes to reduce stigma and enhance social and health equality.
“In the next level of our research, we want to use the study findings to reform future policies and advance socialand health equity,” he says. “This is a matter of human rights, and LGBT+ people should not be under attack for who they are.”