Mentoring programs and LGBT identities are both relatively new topics for psychologist to discuss and study with even little work being done to examine their intersection. While studies have suggested that mentoring programs provide protective benefits for children and that LGBT identification can have a negative impact on children, due to a variety of factors (such as age of “coming out”) mentoring programs for LGBT students has garnered little attention. To combat this issue, a comprehensive mentoring program needs to be psychologically constructed to address the unique issues surrounding LGBT identification. From there, researchers can use this program to examine the specific ways in which mentoring provides a protective function for LGBT …show more content…
LGBT youth have been found to have increased risk of anxiety and depression, identity distress, conduct disorder related problems in school, increased alcohol and drug use and suicide as well as generally lower levels of academic and psychological health (KOSCIW PAMER KULL; MISHNA). Due to the lack of access to protective relationships and support systems, LGBT youth are not only contend with higher risk factors, but also lack the resources necessarily to effectively deal with these risk …show more content…
“Coming out” refers to the process of sexual orientation development where an individual has 1) “an awareness of one’s sexual orientation and/or gender identity” and that it differs from the norm, 2) labels oneself as LGBT, 3) discloses this LGBT identity to other people (Kosciw, Palmer, Kull). Typically, “coming out” occurs in late adolescence to early adulthood, but can happen at any time. This “process of self-disclosure of sexual or gender identity” to others can vary greatly by individuals with no two “coming out” stories being identical (Russell and Horne). However, for many, “coming out issues can represent significant life events” which can have a huge impact on one’s academic or professional life (Russell and Horne). In fact, coming out has been found to be similar to having a loved one die, having a baby or getting married in terms of its affects on life trajectory (Russell and Horne). Unfortunately, unlike other sociall acceptable and recognized life stressors, “the coming out process often remains invisible or marginalized” with many individuals experiencing an increased amount of victimization after coming out (Russell and Horne; Kosciw, Palmer,
They develop four main themes surrounding their finds: leaving aggressive social environments, facing 'coming out' in meaningful ways, remembering the social environment, and turning challenges into opportunities and strengths (Askura and Craig 2014: 254-5). Asakura and Craig confirm that life did not automatically get better for these participants. They conclude, “future activism and media campaigns should incorporate stories on how LGBTQ people’s lives are getting better and focus on how we as a society can make it better for today’s LGBTQ youths” (Askura and Craig 2014: 265). Asakura and Craig cover detailed information and exceptional insight to whether or not the “It Gets Better” campaign has had an impact on LGBTQ youths. In comparison to Kidd’s “Not that There’s Anything Wrong with That: Sexuality Perspectives,” this article gives personal quotes on suicide instead of just insight. This source perceives the argument that life does not automatically get better for LGBTQ youth after watching an inspirational “It Gets Better” campaign video. However, the question still hangs whether or not the “It Gets Better” campaign has provided enough strength and motivation to decrease the overall amount of LGBTQ youth
Andrew Sullivan, author of, What is a Homosexual, portrays his experience growing up; trapped in his own identity. He paints a detailed portrait of the hardships caused by being homosexual. He explains the struggle of self-concealment, and how doing so is vital for social acceptation. The ability to hide one’s true feelings make it easier to be “invisible” as Sullivan puts it. “The experience of growing up profoundly different in emotional and psychological makeup inevitably alters a person’s self-perception.”(Sullivan)This statement marks one of the many reasons for this concealment. The main idea of this passage is to reflect on those hardships, and too understand true self-conscious difference. Being different can cause identity problems, especially in adolescents.
Herdt, Gilbert. 1989. Gay and Lesbian Youth, Emergent Identities, and Cultural Scenes at Home and Abroad. In G. Herdt (Ed.), Gay and Lesbian Youth (1-42). Harrington Park Press, Inc. New York.
Perrin, Ellen C., and Benjamin S. Siegel. "Promoting the Well-Being of Children Whose Parents Are Gay or Lesbian." Pediatrics 131.4 (2013): 1374-383. PDF file.
Coming out, regardless of what one is coming out as, is incredibly difficult. An important aspect of accepting ones’ sexuality is the support that one gets from others of the same sexuality. “This support comes not only from loved ones … but also from associating with like-minded others in the gay, lesbians, and bisexual communities” (McLean 63). However, even in a group that’s been discriminated against by heterosexuals, there is an outstanding amount biphobia in the LGBT community.
Mercer, L. R. & Berger, R. M. (1989). Social service needs of lesbian and gay adolescents. Adolescent Sexuality: New Challenges for Social Workers. Haworth Press.
It is very reasonable to conclude that research on depression of those who identify as gay, lesbian or transsexual is not accurate; there is an underreporting of people who identify as these sexual orientations because of the fear of being different. It is understood that those apart of the LGBTQ community actively hide their identity in hopes to avoid being rejected or abused (Bird, 2013). Once the reporting issue of having a smaller percentage of the actual representation of the LGBTQ population is put aside, there is evidence that highly suggests that lesbians and gay men are at higher risk for psychiatric disorders than heterosexuals (Cochran, 2001). Even after underreporting, there is still enough information to conclude that sexual discrimination can have harmful effects on the quality of life. Common factors that have been observed in lesbians and gays that can potentially increase depression during Cochran's study are anxiety and mood disorders and decreased self esteem. Cochran and her partner also noted that dissatisfaction with how one is treated beca...
HIV/AIDS is a major risk factor affecting a large portion of the LGBT community, especially gay men. CDC.gov (2013) found that gay and bisexual men of all races continue to be at high risk for developing HIV. According to Krehely (2009) the drug and substance abuse risk factor, as well as mental health issues in the LGBT community often occur and are related to high rates of stress due to the lack of family acceptance of the LGBT lifestyle, systematic discrimination, and the lack of cultural competency in the health care environment. Sexu...
Currently in today’s society, coming out as gay is easier than admitting to a serious mental problem. This effect puts a burden on teens who suffer from problems and don’t know where to go; which led to the increase of teen suicides as seen in the media. In the average classroom size, about three of the twenty-four students have depression; not mentioning other common disorders such as bipolar disorder, panic disorder, ADHD, conduct disorder, and eating disorders. Without better programs in schools to prevent and inform about mental disorders, the current taboo on them, the bullying of students suffering, and the romanticization of diseases will continue to increase the negative effect mental disorders have on teens.
There is very little research that has been done in the past on the mental health of LGBT individuals. In 1997 the federal center for Mental Health Services called for information to be compiled on the topic (Lucksted 3). Most of the information came from small publications, grass root information and self-reporting and even this information was incomplete because of the lesser reporting on people of the transgender and bisexual communities. This older report shows what the state of affairs was in ...
Bilodeau, B. (2003, October). Genderqueer: Understanding transgender student identities. Presented at the American Educational Research Association Research on Women in Education Annual Conference, Knoxville, TN.
The act of "coming out" is a complex political tool. Its use is open to ambiguous possibilities, ranging from subverting social order to reinforcing those power structures. Of course, it is undoubtedly an empowering act for many non-heterosexual persons to identify themselves as such. Even if the categories of "heterosexual" and "homosexual" are entirely socially constructed (as Michel Foucault argues), that does not mean that they are not real categories of thought that shape the way we live our lives. Indeed, my computer is entirely constructed, but is still undeniably real. Since many non-heterosexual people do live their lives identifying differently from heterosexual people, they may find "homosexual" (or a similar label) an accurate description of their identities and daily lives, however socially contingent that description is. That said, I do not wish to make a judgement call on whether or not someone should or should not come out. Rather, I wish to examine the complicated space represented by "the closet" and the multifarious effects that "coming out" has on the larger social structure.
Jamil, O. B., Harper, G. W., Fernandez, M. I. (2009). Sexual and ethnic identity development among gay-bisexual-questioning (GBQ) male ethnic minority adolescents. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 15, 203-214.
Williams, T., Connolly, J., Pepler, D., & Craig, W. (2003). Questioning and sexual minority adolescents: High school experiences of bullying, sexual harassment and physical abuse. Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health. Special Issue: Disrupting Normalcy: Lesbian, Gay, Queer Issues and Mental Health, 22 (2), 47-58.
Joanna Almeida, Renee M. Johnson, Heather L. Corliss, Beth E. Molnar. Emotional Distress among LGBT Youth: The Influence of Percieved Discrimination Based On Sexual Orientation. 13 March 2014 .