What is the CBR Health and Wellbeing Study?
The ACT Health Directorate has launched a new study, CBR Health and Wellbeing, which collects information about the health and wellbeing of Canberrans.
The study will be launched as a pilot to help ACT Health better understand the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ Canberrans. LGBTIQ+ people experience major health disparities compared to the general population, which are often underreported in health surveys. The term LGBTIQ+ is respectfully used as an umbrella term and is not intended to be limited to only those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and gender diverse, intersex and/or queer.
The CBR Health and Wellbeing Study is a unique opportunity for LGBTIQ+ Canberrans to share their experiences on their health and wellbeing, mental health, and access to health services. It includes questions regarding health and wellbeing that weren’t included in the LGBTIQ+ Scoping Study (undertaken in 2020). The CBR Health and Wellbeing Study will provide vital information to ACT Health to better understand and support the current and emerging health needs of the LGBTIQ+ community to improve the health outcomes of LGBTIQ+ Canberrans now and into the future.
Why are we conducting the study?
ACT Health is seeking to understand the experiences of the LGBTIQ+ community to make a positive difference to their health and wellbeing.
The study will provide invaluable insights on many important health measures, including discrimination, mental health, and physical health. The results will inform policies and programs so that health services meet the needs and priorities of LGBTIQ+ Canberrans in an inclusive and responsive way.
The study will also serve as a trial for the feasibility and acceptability of mobile phone data collection methods in the ACT community.
Who is conducting the study?
ACT Health Directorate is conducting the study. Through the CBR Health Study app or web browser, information will be collected about your health and wellbeing.
Who can take part in the study?
All LGBTIQ+ Canberrans aged 16 years and over are invited to take part in the study.
How do I take part?
You can join the study in three easy steps:
1. Click here to complete the study online or download the CBR Health Study app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
CBR Health Study app
Google Play Store
Apple App Store
2. Register as a participant by entering your name and email.
3. Create a password.
You will be asked to give your consent before entering the study.
What’s involved?
After joining the study, you will be asked to complete some preliminary questions about yourself. Each set of questions will take less than five minutes to complete.
After this, you will have access to short surveys that take one to four minutes to complete. These surveys will ask questions about your health and wellbeing, mental health, and access to health services. You can complete these short surveys at your own pace: all at once or over several weeks.
You will receive notifications on your mobile device to complete the remaining survey questions if you haven't completed them all.
You can leave the study at any time for any reason or no reason at all during the study period. See the 'How do I leave the study?' section for details.
How long will the study go for?
The study will run from 3 October until 31 December 2023. Once enrolled, participants have eight weeks to complete the survey.
Why is the study important?
The information collected will help us better understand the emerging health and wellbeing needs of the ACT community and to be responsive to these needs. It will also help inform public health measures across Canberra.
How will the information be used?
Some aggregated results and statistics will be published on HealthStats ACT, in ACT Health communication channels (including social media and websites), and in publicly available reports and scientific journal articles.
All results will be reported at a summary level. No individuals will be identified in the reports produced from the study data. All information you provide will be treated in strict confidence.
The survey has been approved by the ACT Health Human Research Ethics Committee. If you have any concerns or complaints about the study, please contact the Human Research Ethics Committee secretariat on (02) 6174 7968 or ethics@act.gov.au.
Is the study compulsory?
The study is completely voluntary. Your participation is important to help us gain an accurate understanding of the health and wellbeing of LGBTIQ+ Canberrans.
You can choose to answer all questions or only some questions. It is entirely up to you.
How is your privacy protected?
Your information and privacy is strictly protected.
We will not have access to personal information such as your name, phone number or email address. All information you provide will be completely confidential and your answers will not be identified as individual responses. Responses are used for research purposes only and are treated in strict confidence.
Where do I go for technical help?
If you are having issues registering for the study or completing a survey, please try re-starting the app or refreshing the webpage. If you are still having issues, please contact us at epicentre@act.gov.au.
How do I leave the study?
If you would like to leave the study at any time during the study period, click on the “Drop out of study” button on the website or in the app, or uninstall the app from your phone.
What is the CBR Health Study app?
The CBR Health Study app is created using the Ethica Data platform, a health research software which was developed by the University of Saskatchewan in Canada in 2009.
If you are asked to allow access to your GPS or Bluetooth data when you are setting up the app, you can choose to not allow this. ACT Health is not collecting GPS or Bluetooth data for this study.
The app is free of charge, and approximately 25 MB in size.
What can I do if I would like further information about the study?
If you have any questions about your participation in the study or would like more information, please contact epicentre@act.gov.au.
For support
We appreciate that some content of this survey may be sensitive, and some people may feel upset during or after completing this survey. If you do feel like you need support, please contact one of the numbers below to talk to somebody:
- Meridian Wellbeing Services: (02) 6257 2855 (available 9:00am to 4:00pm, Monday - Friday)
- A Gender Agenda: (02) 6162 1924
- Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 (available 24 hours, 7 days)
- 13yarn: 13 92 76 (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people)
For those under the age of 25, there are also the following services available:
Kids Helpline: Open 24/7 | 1800 551 800 | kidshelpline.com.au
Eheadspace: 1800 650 890 | headspace.org.au/eheadspace/
If you, or someone you know is in crisis please call the numbers below:
In an emergency always contact 000.
Access Mental Health open 24/7 | (02) 6205 1065 or 1800 629 354
QLife: Open 3pm - Midnight | 1800 184 527 | qlife.org.au
Lifeline: Open 24/7 | 13 11 14 | lifeline.org.au
Domestic Violence Crisis Service: Open 24/7 | (02) 6280 0900 | dvcs.org.au
Crisis and Assessment Treatment Team (CATT), open 24/7: (02) 6205 1065
