Australia’s First Dedicated LGBTQIA+ Online Mental Health Platform

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Australia’s first-ever dedicated LGBTQIA+ mental health platform, Unboxed Pride, offers qualified and in-context local psychological services nationally for the LGBTQIA+ community.

The statistics are staggering when looking at Australia’s mental health crisis for members of our LGBTQIA+ community, who are two and a half times more likely to have a mental health diagnosis than the wider community (LGBTQIA+ Health Australia, 2021), specifically for those over the age of 16:

Suicide attempts are almost six times more prevalent in the LGBTQIA+ population aged 18 and over (30.5%) than in wider Australians (4.8%).
Furthermore, transgender people aged 14-25 are fifteen times more likely to have attempted suicide in their lifetime.
Suicidal ideation in the last 12 months (in 2021) was found in 59.1% of LGBTQIA+ people aged 16 – 17 and 41.9% in LGBTQIA + people over 18, compared to 16.7% of Australians.
60.5% of LGBTQIA+ people aged 18 and over have been diagnosed with depression, compared to 10.5% of the general population.
47.20% of the LGBTQIA+ community aged 18 and over have reported being diagnosed with anxiety, whilst only 13.1% of the broader Australian population do.
71% of LGBTQIA+ people aged 16-27 indicated not using a crisis support service during their most recent mental health crisis.

Unboxed Pride’s highly qualified psychologists, psychotherapists and counsellors have extensive experience in treating the LGBTQIA+ community in Australia specifically, allowing access to the platform from anywhere, at any time. Offering evidence-based approaches with practical tools and techniques tailored to each person’s unique transformational journey, Unboxed Pride will become an invaluable resource for LGBTQIA+ and mental health professionals in Australia.

Founder of Unboxed Pride, David Cairncross, commented:

“Until today, many LGBTQIA+ people In Australia have only been able to access out of context international therapy resources online. Whereas Unboxed Pride will offer clients a selection of locally accredited therapists to provide the best possible care for LGBTQIA+ members seeking support that is in-context. People are waiting months to see Psychologists with current wait times longer than ever before, so this new resource allows us to support people in a more effective, efficient and budget friendly way, with tailored psychological services for members of the LGBTQIA+ community.”

The platform empowers clients to choose their therapist via an online catalogue using smart matching technology to offer personalised suggestions based on their mental health goals or challenges. Before scheduling an online consultation, a free introductory call is also available to all users to ensure you feel comfortable with your therapist. In addition, Unboxed Pride’s booking system is fully automated, and their customer support team is available six days a week for ongoing user support, ensuring a seamless user experience.

Patients are also sent an onboarding SMS detailing everything they need for their first session before the appointment. Payment is then processed automatically, followed by the Medicare rebate. The fees after a Medicare rebate has been applied are $83.35 for a Clinical Psychologist and $85.35 for a Registered Psychologist, counsellor, and Psychotherapist are $120.

LOTL speaks to Laura Rizzuto, a clinical psychologist with expertise in anger management, gender identity and helping patients to navigate coming out.