Familial Acceptance Fights Depression, Suicide

A recent study by San Francisco State University, whose findings will appear in January’s edition of the American Academy of Pediatrics journal, has established for the first time a link between serious LGBT youth health problems and their family’s rejection or other specific negative reactions to the youth’s sexual orientation. While the general results seemed somewhat intuitive as I read over the study’s media coverage today, the harsh realities of the findings and dialogue on this issue were somewhat unsettling.

Director of the Family Acceptance Project Dr. Caitlin Ryan and her team found that LGBT young people who had experienced greater rejection by their families were:

• 8.4 times more likely to attempt suicide
• 6 times more likely to become depressed
• 3.4 times more likely to use drugs
• 3.4 times more likely to engage in unprotected sex

Those numbers give pause when considered in context with the fact that more and more LGBT individuals today are coming out at earlier ages. And despite the growing number of LGBT role models and discussion of top LGBT issues at the national and local levels, conversations on the health of LGBT teens before, during and after their coming out are largely relegated to the occasional media story or study issued around the time of an LGBT teen’s death.

In the same way Dr. Ryan’s study clearly articulates the power of a family’s verbal and non-verbal communications in the health of an LGBT youth, I believe that communication on this and other issues can have profound effects. Today’s coverage of this issue by the Associated Press, mainstream media, and LGBT outlets should be a starting point for a continual dialogue on how actions and communications of acceptance from an LGBT youth’s family and community can have immeasurable benefits on a teen’s health.

From media stories on this issue to the LGBT community making a proactive effort to be a sounding board of acceptance for LGBT youth, consistent communication can drive change in the responses of families around the country. PFLAG and other organizations are additional champions that extend this important message not just to families, but also to medical professionals, psychologists, social workers and educators who typically have close, personal communications with parents and teens.

Vanderbilt University pediatrician Sten Vermund said in an AP story: “Someone can still be uncomfortable with their child’s sexual orientation, but if they are somewhat more accepting and do the best they can, they will do the youth a lot of good. That to me is an important message.” I couldn’t agree more, but would like to hear your thoughts on the study results and how the LGBT community can continue this important dialogue.

Comments

[Debra Trotter]

Thanks alot for the information. Really appreciate it. I've Subscribed to your RSS feed for Further updated.

I myself have been suffering from anxiety and just recently had a setback like you and am slowly recovering again.

It's very weird to read your descriptions of morning anxiety and lack of appetite even when only having lunch with family or friends as this is something I am too familiar with and often thought to myself if I was the only one who was going through stuff like this.

Best Regards,
Debra@Anxiety Cures