Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/gender diverse, queer, and intersex+ inclusion in Asia-Pacific social work education: a scoping review

The purpose of this scoping literature review was to examine the available evidence on the discussion of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/gender diverse, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) populations in published journal articles on social work education in the Asia-Pacific region. Using a modified PRISMA framework, the research team searched 33 English-language Q1 and Q2 journals (with an impact factor ranging from 0.5 to 2.8) in social work. The initial search yielded 4,468 results related to LGBTQI+ inclusion. Once full-text articles were reviewed, 15 relevant articles remained. Most articles were from Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand and several were empirical papers. The chief finding was that the literature focused on preparing students with appropriate affirmative and strengths focused language for effectively intervening with LGBTQI+ communities. We found gaps in LGBTQI+ inclusive education in the literature, particularly in developing regions of the Asia-Pacific. Future research in social work education in the Asia-Pacific should explore opportunities for enhancing LGBTQI+ inclusion within the region.