EQUICARES – a European research initiative aiming to understand and reduce mental health inequalities

What is EQUICARES about and why is it being done?

Everyone deserves access to mental health care that is safe, fair, and easy to reach. But many people still face problems getting the help they need. The EQUICARES project, funded by the European Union, wants to understand what gets in the way – especially for people in vulnerable or marginalised communities – and work with communities to identify potential solutions.

There are 18 partners in the EQUICARES project who work in nine European countries. Eight of these are pilot partners that directly engage with different vulnerable or marginalised communities, such as LGBTQI+ people, older migrants, people with disability, refugees, and Roma.

The project will include research with multiple stakeholders including community members, service providers and policy makers. The aim is to identify access barriers and use this information to help in the co-creation of solutions through Smart Health Labs.

The EQUICARES research project is a four-year project which will conclude in December 2028.

Read more about EQUICARES here: https://equicares-project.eu/

Why LGBTQI+ people?

LGBT Ireland knows, from previous research, that LGBTQI+ people are worse off when it comes to mental health. LGBTQI+ people are likely to experience discrimination and stigma due to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity at some point in their lifetime. As a result, they might feel anxious or depressed. When trying to access mental health service, LGBTQI+ people then also face additional barriers. For example, mental health professionals might not provide inclusive services.

How can I take part?

EQUICARES wants to hear more about your experiences with trying to access mental health services in Ireland. If you have used mental health services in the last 12 months, we would also like to know how this experience was.

You can take part providing you meet the following requirements:

You are over 18 years old and live in Ireland.
You have accessed or tried to access professional mental health support at some point in your life.
You are not experiencing any acute crises and are not in active need of mental health support now.

To take part, you will be asked to complete a 20-25 minute online survey about your experiences with trying to access professional mental health services, focused on the accessibility of the services.

The survey can be accessed through the following link: https://erasmusuniversity.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5btF3mpYE4MehGm

You don’t have to have used professional mental health services to participate. Maybe you tried to find a counsellor through the HSE, but you are still on a waiting list. Maybe you realised that the fees are too expensive. Maybe you found a peer support group instead that offers what you are looking for. Maybe you have been successful and want to share your experiences of how you found your therapist. We want to hear about it.

If a survey of this nature is not of interest to you, we do have 2 other options available: a shorter survey which focuses on your personal experiences and feelings when accessing professional mental health services, or a reflective diary option. If you are interested in completing one of these options, please contact us directly on [email protected].

Your involvement in the project helps us to make sure that possible solutions reflect the needs of the LGBTQI+ community in Ireland.

Your participation is voluntary and LGBT is not in a position to offer compensation.

You can change your mind about your participation at any time prior to the analysis of the data without giving a reason. If you choose not to continue to take part in this research study, it will not affect your access to mental health support services or LGBTQI+ support services.

Research information sheet available here <<Link to PDF of the info sheet>>