Family support a major weapon against suicide among gay youth
Being a teenager can be difficult. The progression from childhood to adulthood involves negotiating the difficult gauntlet of peer pressure, trying to fit in among people who aren’t entirely sure of themselves, all while dealing with raging hormones.
Few people escape the teen years without emotional scars.
Not surprisingly, suicide is a major adolescent health concern – in fact, it’s the third major cause of death among U.S. teens, after unintentional injury and homicide. Those numbers are even higher for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) teens.
A study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine sought to determine the risk factors and protective factors for LGBT teens and suicide, finding that love and acceptance by family and friends are key suicide preventive factors.
“A major risk factor for suicide among these young people is to have experienced some kind of victimization regarding their sexuality,” said lead author Brian Mustanski, associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg Schoool of Medicine. “Victimization can include bullying, destruction of property, and name calling.”