Tan, Kyle, Liem, Andrian, Pamoso, Aron Harold G., Trinh, Viet D. M., Bin Ibrahim, Muhamad Alif, and Sakunpong, Nanchatsan (2026) An exploratory mapping LGBTQ+ research and intervention priorities in Southeast Asia (2025–2035). Psychology & Sexuality. (In Press)

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Abstract

Extant literature remains fragmented and does not inclusively represent the lived realities and needs of LGBTQ+ populations in Southeast Asia. This study aimed to identify LGBTQ+ research and intervention priorities in this region through an anonymous survey with researchers, community workers, and advocates conducted from May to August 2025 (N = 142). Participants represented 11 Southeast Asian countries, with the highest proportions from the Philippines (30.3%), Malaysia (28.9%), Thailand (19.7%), Vietnam (16.9%), and Singapore (12.7%). Participants rated 14 issues affecting LGBTQ+ communities using a three-point importance scale and identified their top priority concern. The results revealed that mental health issues and suicidality (81.0%), training health professionals about LGBTQ+ health (78.9%), and HIV/AIDS (70.9%) were most frequently rated as ‘very important’ regional priorities. Community workers were more likely to prioritise mental health, police mistreatment, and employment issues. When prompted to select one issue as the most urgent to address, participants equally prioritised criminalising laws and mental health issues (20.0% respectively) . Country-specific primary priorities varied significantly criminalising laws (Malaysia), mental health (Singapore and Thailand), health professional training (the Philippines), and marriage rights (Vietnam). These findings provide a preliminary framework for developing LGBTQ+ research and intervention agendas across Southeast Asia, both at the regional and country levels.

Item ID:	91981
Item Type:	Article (Research - C1)
ISSN:	1941-9902
Keywords:	LGBT; Southeast Asia; priority; research; intervention
Copyright Information:	This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder.
Projects and Grants:	Southeast Asian Indigenous Psychology (SEAIP) Network Seed Grant 2024
Date Deposited:	18 May 2026 22:59
FoR Codes:	52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5205 Social and personality psychology > 520501 Community psychology @ 50% 44 HUMAN SOCIETY > 4499 Other human society > 449901 Studies of Asian society @ 50%
SEO Codes:	28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280123 Expanding knowledge in human society @ 50% 28 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE > 2801 Expanding knowledge > 280121 Expanding knowledge in psychology @ 50%
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