Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA) youth experience a unique range of psychosocial strsors often culmatg p
Contents:
- MENTAL HEALTH LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR (LGBT) YOUTH
- SEXUAL ORIENTATN INTY DEVELOPMENT MILTON AMONG LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND QUEER PEOPLE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS
- REVIEWSOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIL ASPECTS OF GAY INTY VELOPMENT
MENTAL HEALTH LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND TRANSGENR (LGBT) YOUTH
This month’s issue of Pediatrics featur studi om Baams1 and Becerra-Culqui et al, 2 which they ntribute to the ever-growg body of lerature that characteriz psychosocial dispari faced by lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, qutng (LGBTQ), and genr nonnformg youth. AbstractLbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgenr, Queer, Intersex and Asexual (LGBTQIA) youth experience a unique range of psychosocial strsors often culmatg poor mental health out. The figur suggt the prence of risk factors unique to this velopmental perd and the specific challeng enuntered Health of LGBTQIA AdolcentsMental health risks are even higher among youth who intify as lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, queer, tersex or asexual (LGBTQIA).
Four major unique strsors are experienc of harassment and abe; inty velopment and ternalized homophobia; inty disclosure and associated rejectn fears; and velopg relatnships wh sexual mory peers (Saen et al. The four factors may also enpass experienc of vlence, bullyg, stigmatizatn, everyday discrimatn and micro-aggrsns, real or perceived discrimatn or rejectn om peers or parents, opportuny loss related to employment and tn, higher rat of sexual and physil asslt, losg iends after g out, strs of belongg to a homophobic relig muny or fay, parents not knowg about, or reactg negatively to their sexualy; and ongog negative reactns and teractns due to sexual orientatn (D’gelli 2002; Hall 2018; Higa et al. For example, gay and bisexual men experience higher rat of prsn, panic attacks and psychologil distrs, while lbian and bisexual women experience higher rat of generalized anxiety disorr than their heterosexual unterparts (Cochran et al.
SEXUAL ORIENTATN INTY DEVELOPMENT MILTON AMONG LBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, AND QUEER PEOPLE: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW AND META-ANALYSIS
While rat of mental health are higher wh the LGBT muny than the general populatn, LGBT youth are not a homogeno group and th monstrate variabily their rpons to strsors.
(2015) nducted a randomized ntrol trial (RCT) implementg an LGB-affirmative gnive behavral therapy (CBT) lled effective skills to empower effective men (ESTEEM) for gay and bisexual men. In regard to sexual orientatn, one study clud only gay male participants, two did not list specific sexualy data, there was an over reprentatn of homosexual participants three studi (percentage of lbian/gay participants 36–60. Psychotn, behavral activatn, intifyg and challengg gnive distortns, gnive rtcturg, munitn skills, relaxatn and mdfulns trag, problem solvg, and social skills trag), and addrsg challeng of bullyg, homophobia, ‘g out’ and societal assumptns of sexualy.
The study found that the prence of a GSA was associated wh fewer experienc of homophobic bullyg the followg year, regardls of participatn; and GSA prence and participatn improved perceived safety.
REVIEWSOCIAL PSYCHOLOGIL ASPECTS OF GAY INTY VELOPMENT
Participants (N = 77) were randomly alloted to one of three groups: wrg over 3 days about their most strsful or trmatic gay-related event (n = 27), wrg about such an event and readg their wrg om the prev day (n = 25), or wrg about a ntral topic (n = 25). Pachankis and Goldied (2010) found that participants assigned to the terventn group wh lower basele social support reported greater improvements prsn, psychologil symptoms, and higher proportns of gay iends at 3-month follow-up.
For example, one study found that lbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) youth had greater levels of prsive symptoms and ternalizg behavrs at basele than non-LGB youth, and experienced greater improvements such that symptom severy was more equivalent post-terventn.
One further study found that gay mal wh lower basele social support experienced greater improvements prsive symptoms, social support and overall psychopathology when alloted to the experimental rather than the ntrol group (Pachankis and Goldied 2010). Intertgly, the studi that did not e empirilly based treatment still yield improvements via the e of gay-affirmative unselg, creatg safe spac, open discsn of unique experienc, pg, social, and gnive appraisal skills trag.