Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender Youth Research Articles

Bibliometric analysis of peer-reviewed literature on mental health and well-being of LGBT adolescents

PurposeThe lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people face discrimination, verbal harassment, rejection and physical violence that affect their mental health and well-being. Adolescence is a critical period for the development of mental health and well-being. The purpose of this study is to analyze research publications on the mental health and well-being of LGBT adolescents.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive research strategy was implemented using the SciVerse Scopus database to accomplish the objective of the study. The study period was all times up to 2020. VOS viewer program was used for mapping of frequent author keywords, journal citations and research collaboration.FindingsThe search strategy found 1,167 documents authored by 4,067 researchers and disseminated through 321 scientific journals. Research on the topic started half a century ago but showed a visible steep growth after 2008. Authors and institutions in the USA dominated the field. Northwestern University, based in the USA, was the most active institution. No significant cross-country collaboration was observed in this field. The most active journal was Journal of Adolescent Health (n = 67, 5.7%), followed distantly by the Journal of LGBT Youth (n = 48, 4.1%). The contribution of journals in the field of mental health to the topic was limited. Documents on family acceptance, suicidality and school victimization/violence received the highest number of citations. The retrieved documents in the field had five major topics: suicide, mental health/depression, bullying/victimization, substance use/alcohol and violence.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study has a few limitations that are typical of any bibliometric study. Both the search strategy and the use of Scopus are inherent limitations of bibliometric studies.Practical implicationsPolicymakers and public health experts in various countries need to prioritize research on the mental health and well-being of LGBT adolescents based on the number of publications produced by the country. The finding that certain world regions have limited research contribution does not mean the absence of mental health problems of LGBT adolescents.Social implicationsThe limited number of scholars in the field of sexual health, the cultural barriers are the main obstacles for publishing in this field. Research on LGBT adolescents’ mental health and well-being should be prioritized in countries and world regions with limited research in this field. Therefore, journal editors should endorse publications in this field through publishing thematic issues in this field.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to assess the scientific research publications on the mental health of the LGBT people as an indication of interest and social problems facing this community.

Virtually caring: a qualitative study of internet-based mental health services for LGBT young adults in rural Australia.

The study explored how lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young adults in rural Australian communities experience online mental health services. Online technologies hold potential to overcome health access barriers, but little is known in practice for this community. Interviews were conducted with nine LGBT young adults living in rural areas and six service providers who were responsible for the provision of internet-based mental health services. The results were analysed using thematic analysis. The analysis of the interviews with LGBT young adults and service providers revealed important insights and discrepancies. Findings revealed difficulties locating the right care and variation in views about how online services should be delivered. A potentially critical role for parents/guardians to play was found in facilitating access to services. The needs of LGBT youth in rural areas are complex and are unlikely to be met by an en masse approach to internet-based mental health care. The authors recommend that internet based mental healthcare providers work closely with LGBT and youth communities in rural areas to develop client-centred services that are customised to meet the unique needs of this community.

Double-use of LGBT youth in propaganda

Since the mid-2000s Russian authorities banned lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) education propaganda domestically. However since at least 2014 Russia promoted both pro-LGBT and anti-LGBT education propaganda memes internationally, with a strong focus on LGBT youth. This article aims to explore Russia’s double-use of LGBT education propaganda. It outlines Soviet, Neo-Soviet and Eurasianist information operations concepts contextualizing Russian propaganda strategies and LGBT ideology for both defense and attack. It reports on a Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) study investigating what 3,519 Facebook propaganda memes released by the US House of Representatives in 2018, and related US indictments, reveal about Russian online disinformation tactics. Analysis showed that the memes targeted both progressive and conservative ‘patriot’ groups using oppositional discourses on LGBT youth. Patterns of engagement began with relatively innocuous-looking memes the article names ‘Membership Calls’ and ‘Identity Celebrations’, linked to group pages and data collection forms further snowballing target group numbers. Increasingly, ‘both sides’ were pitched against each other and government(s) in destabilizing ways, through memes the article terms ‘Division Provocations’ and ‘Political Influence Attempts’. The memes reflected both existing and novel Russian information operations concepts and tactics on LGBT people; and exploited opportunities unique to social media to devastate democratic ‘majority rule’ debates.

The Role of School Psychologists in addressing Challenges Facing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Students

LGBT students encounter boundless school-related problems including depression, suicidal tendencies, and drug abuse, among others. LGBT youth in school are subjected to constant bullying and discrimination from students, teachers, and the school’s administration who often fail to defend them against this. Often, LGBT students drop-out of school. Therefore, the LGBT community is socially disadvantage within our society. With this background, this study identified established laws to safeguard LGBT rights. Furthermore, the study examined the role of School Psychologists in reducing challenges faced by LGBT students in the schools based on analysis of the 10 NASP (The National Association of School Psychologists) domains, and made vital recommendations to reduce challenges faced by LGBT students with a view to lessen cases of LGBT stigmatization. The recommendations stipulated include; development of laws prohibiting discrimination and abusive language against LGBT, and the development a curriculum that suits LGBT needs. It is imperative to train teachers to aide LGBT groups attain equal universal access to core learning facilities acts.

The social determinants of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth suicidality in England: a mixed methods study.

BackgroundLesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth have a higher risk of suicidality and self-harm than heterosexual youth populations but little is known about the underlying mechanisms. We aimed to investigate the social determinants of this mental health inequality.MethodsA two-stage sequential mixed method study was conducted. Firstly, 29 semi-structured interviews with LGBT youth (aged 13–25 years old) were completed. Data was analysed thematically. Stage 2 involved a self-completed questionnaire employing an online community-based sampling strategy (n = 789). Logistic regression analysis was performed to predict suicidality.ResultsFive social determinants explained suicidal risk: (i) homophobia, biphobia or transphobia; (ii) sexual and gender norms; (iii) managing sexual and gender identities across multiple life domains; (iv) being unable to talk; (v) other life crises. Youth who were transgender (OR = 1.50, P < 0.022), disabled (OR = 2.23, P < 0.000), had self-harmed (OR = 7.45, P < 0.000), were affected by abuse (OR = 2.14, P < 0.000), and affected by not talking about their emotions (OR = 2.43, P < 0.044) were most likely to have planned or attempted suicide.ConclusionsPublic health universal interventions that tackle bullying and discrimination in schools, and selected interventions that provide specific LGBT youth mental health support could reduce LGBT mental health inequalities in youth suicidality.

Health Care Disparities Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth: A Literature Review.

About 3.5% Americans identify themselves as lesbian, gay, or bisexual while 0.3% identify themselves as transgender. The LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) community belongs to almost every race, ethnicity, religion, age, and socioeconomic group. The LGBT youth are at a higher risk for substance use, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), cancers, cardiovascular diseases, obesity, bullying, isolation, rejection, anxiety, depression, and suicide as compared to the general population. LGBT youth receive poor quality of care due to stigma, lack of healthcare providers’ awareness, and insensitivity to the unique needs of this community. The main objective of this literature review is to highlight the challenges faced by the LGBT youth and to enhance the awareness among physicians about the existing disparities in order to provide a more comprehensive, evidence-based, and humane medical care to this community.

Exploring Lived Experiences of Violence and Coping Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth in Kingston, Jamaica

ABSTRACTObjectives: This study explored experiences of violence and coping among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth in Kingston, Jamaica. Methods: We conducted three focus groups with LGBT youth (18–29 years old), one with gay men (n = 10); one with transgender women (n = 8); and the third with lesbian and bisexual women (n = 5). Thematic analysis was used to understand lived experiences of violence and coping. Results: Findings revealed the complexity of types, sites, and consequences of violence, and adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies. Conclusions: Assets-based interventions to support LGBT youth in Jamaica should build on LGBT peer and community support.

Considering the community influence for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth experience typical tasks of adolescence, but may also face heterosexist and homophobic environments and LGBT-related victimization that can lead to greater risk of poor psychological outcomes compared to non-LGBT youth. LGBT youth who are supported by peers, parents, and school personnel may be protected from these negative outcomes. One oft-cited recommendation to increase beneficial outcomes for LGBT students is the creation of a gay–straight alliance (GSA) in the school. Beneficial outcomes have been documented for LGBT students who attend schools with GSAs, but there seems to be a significant lapse in the literature with regard to community factors. The likelihood that acceptance and support at the community level leads to similar amounts of acceptance and support at the school level (in terms of supportive peers, faculty, and parents) and thus significantly affects student outcomes is discussed. Acknowledging the benefits of GSAs, this article suggests that the presence of GSAs in a given school may be indicative of overall community support and the benefits linked to GSAs may be better explained by these community-related factors.

Substance use by same sex attracted young people: Prevalence, perceptions and homophobia.

Research highlights that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people use alcohol and drugs (AOD) more than heterosexual people; however, the incidence of AOD use by LGBT youth is less understood. The purpose of the current study was to ascertain AOD prevalence rates for LGBT youth compared with the Australian youth population; perceptions of AOD use within the LGBT community; and the impact of homophobia on AOD use. The study surveyed a cross-sectional sample of LGBT youth (13-24 years) (n = 161) who attended a LGBT festival in Brisbane, Australia, in 2012. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption, Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence and Drug Check Assessment Tool were utilised to examine patterns of AOD use, with items developed to explore perceptions of AOD use and homophobia. AOD use was common among the LGBT sample, with higher prevalence rates compared with the general Australian youth population (2010 National Drug Strategy Household Survey). AOD use by under 18-year-olds, and gender diverse youth was markedly higher. The majority misperceived AOD use to be the same in the LGBT and heterosexual communities. Those who believed homophobia impacted on AOD use were significantly more likely to use AOD. The higher prevalence of AOD use strongly suggests the need for AOD agencies to better respond to LGBT youth by not only screening sexuality and gender identity but also exploring young people's perceptions of AOD use in the LGBT community and their experiences of homophobia in order to provide effective AOD clinical treatment.

“We’re Not Like These Weird Feather Boa-Covered AIDS-Spreading Monsters”: How LGBT Young People and Service Providers Think Riskiness Informs LGBT Youth–Police Interactions

Research has suggested that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people are “at-risk” of victimization and/or legally “risky.” Relatively few studies have examined the social construction of risk in “risk factor” research and whether risk as a concept influences the everyday lives of LGBT young people. This article reports how 35 LGBT young people and seven service provider staff in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia perceived LGBT youth–police interactions as reflecting discourses about LGBT riskiness and danger. The participants specifically note how they thought looking at-risk and/or looking risky informed their policing experiences. The article concludes with recommendations for improving future policing practice.

A bed of roses?: exploring the experiences of LGBT newcomer youth who migrate to Toronto

Purpose – This study sought to gain a better understanding of the general life experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) newcomer youth, situated within the broader context of their lives post-migration. The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of various forms of oppression experienced by LGBT newcomers and offers recommendations for transforming services to better serve the complex needs of this marginalized population. Design/methodology/approach – The Teens Resisting Urban Trans/Homophobia (TRUTH) project was comprised of ten focus groups with 70 youth (aged 14-29) living in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Another three focus groups were conducted with 13 GTA service providers and teachers working with LGBT youth, in addition to one key informant interview. For this paper, the authors drew from a subset of the data including four newcomer-specific focus groups in which there were 39 youth who identified as refugees or immigrants, as well as key informant interviews with four youth (three of whom also participated in focus groups) and one service provider. Participants were asked about “what homophobia and transphobia meant to them”, “where they experienced it”, “in what forms”, and “how it impacted their daily lives”. Findings – The experiences of LGBT newcomer youth in this study involved a complex negotiation of multiple systems of oppression. Youth described experiences of homophobia and racism within interpersonal relationships, in the LGBT community, in their respective diasporic communities, in social service encounters and during the immigration/refugee process. Barriers for LGBT refugee youth included difficulties finding work and accessing health care, as well as the additional burden of proving their sexual orientation during refugee claimant hearings. Research limitations/implications – While the combination of focus groups and key informant interviews is a strength in this study, it also presents challenges for analysis. In focus groups, it is not always clear who is speaking; because of this, the authors were sometimes unable to differentiate between refugee and immigrant youth (or those without status) in our focus groups, making it often unclear which perspective or experience youth were speaking to. Another limitation was the dominance of the “cisgender gay male voice” in our conclusions. Lesbian and bisexual women were present in fewer numbers and the sample only included three trans youth. Practical implications – The findings reveal systemic discrimination on the basis of race and sexual orientation that illuminate injustices within Canadian society and systems that can enhance the efforts of those working in policy and service environments. Focused anti-homophobia and anti-racism training, and the implementation of policies designed to enhance accessibility, could improve service provision for newcomer LGBT youth. Furthermore, in order to facilitate a more just settlement process, a broader understanding of sexual identity, gender identity, and gender expression is required of the refugee claimant system. Originality/value – This study examines the experiences of youth in a large and complex, multicultural, and gay-friendly urban centre, thus providing timely and current data about the well-being of newcomer LGBT youth. As such, it is one of the first studies to offer some insights into the life issues and challenges post-migration of Canadian LGBT newcomer youth.

Hard-to-Reach Youth Online: Methodological Advances in Self-Harm Research

International research has demonstrated that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth have elevated rates of suicide and self-harm. What is missing from the evidence base, however, is qualitative research investigating LGBT youth perspectives. This is a sensitive subject area presenting ethical, methodological and epistemological challenges, especially in relation to over-sampling the ‘visible’ sections of a hidden population, retrospective reporting, and capturing complex emotions. We report on our use of qualitative online methodology to examine Internet forums where LGBT youth discuss self-harming. We found that this methodology can address some research dilemmas by generating: (a) diverse samples in terms of sexuality and gender identities; (b) a different type of data, immediate and unmediated by researchers; and (c) complex psychosocial emotional data. We argue that this online data can enhance our understanding of the links among hard-to-reach youth, suicide, self-harm, sexuality and gender, which is crucial to developing effective and appropriate suicide prevention strategies and mental health policies.

Homotolerance and Heterosexuality as Norwegian Values

In recent years, equality between homosexual and heterosexual relationships has increasingly been presented as a marker for Norwegian values. Norwegian schooling encourages tolerance toward homosexuals, and the state shows active interest in counteracting bullying against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) youth by supporting research and prevention programs. Recent studies concerning LGBT youth in Norway do indicate, however, that young Norwegians in general find it difficult to imagine themselves living a nonheterosexual life. Suicide is still considered a “reasonable” reaction to having to face a future as a homosexual. How can this be understood? Our analyses of teaching and textbooks in Norwegian schools points to three approaches to understanding young peoples’ reluctance to imagining themselves as nonheterosexual: the double message of homotolerance, the self-evidence of heterosexuality, and the absence of nonheterosexual futurescapes.

The School-Based Lives of LGBT Youth in the Republic of Ireland

There is a dearth of research on the experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth in schools in the Republic of Ireland. The current study assessed the school-based experiences of twenty five (N = 25) participants in the BeLonG To LGBT youth group in Dublin city using a mixed design survey instrument. The majority (n = 19) of respondents reported experiencing problems in school related to their sexual orientation and/or gender identity; eleven (n = 11) respondents reported that homophobia impacted negatively on their studies while at school; and one fifth of respondents (n = 5) left school early, citing negative reactions to their sexual orientation or gender identity as one of the main reasons they left. The majority (n = 18) of respondents did not consider their school a safe space to be LGBT.

Traversing the Margins: Intersectionalities in the Bullying of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth

SUMMARY This study explores the perspectives of service providers and youth advocates on bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and intersectionalities in LGBT peer victimization. In depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine key informants (4 male, 4 female, 1 transgender male; 4 gay, 3 lesbian, 2 non-identified; 6 white, 1 South Asian, 2 Middle Eastern) recruited using purposive sampling from diverse education and social service settings. Narrative thematic analysis and a constant comparative method were used to identify themes. Five themes emerged from the data: (1) “transgressing gender norm boundaries”; (2) homophobic sexism vs. sexist homophobia; (3) “you choose sexuality or you choose race”; (4) newcomer youth and citizenship; and (5) “multiple wires together … create the cage.” Findings suggest the importance of an intersectional approach to conceptualizing and addressing LGBT bullying and to uncovering the differential experiences of bullying among LGBT youth. Bullying related to sexual orientation should not be assumed to be the only or primary form of violence shaping the lives of LGBT youth.

Leaving Our Children Behind: The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

ABSTRACT The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB Act) contains several provisions that affect the treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and LGBT issues in America's public schools. School choice and voucher provisions could cause both students and resources to be shifted to private and religious schools that are not subject to inclusive state nondiscrimination and anti-harassment policies. For the first time in three decades, the NCLB Act allows federal funds to be used for the creation of single-sex schools and classrooms, despite research on the mixed impact of sex-segregated schools on gender development and self-esteem. The NCLB Act's focus on standardized testing also leaves no room for LGBT issues in curricula. Internet filtering provisions prevent LGBT youth from accessing critical information, and some filtering software reflects ideological biases. Parental rights provisions, including “no promo homo” language, may interfere with research, anti-homophobia programs, or sex education. Finally, provisions that reinforce the right of the Boy Scouts and the U.S. military to meet in public schools despite their discriminatory policies are legally redundant and send a federally mandated message of intolerance.

U.S. Policy Interventions That Can Make Schools Safer

ABSTRACT “No promo homo” laws in a few states seek to prevent schools from openly supporting LGBT students. However, there is evidence that public support is growing for the implementation of gay-straight alliances, nondiscrimination policies, and other interventions designed to counteract and prevent violence and harassment against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth in public schools. Eight states and the District of Columbia have a sexual orientation non-discrimination and/or anti-harassment law, and at least six states have regulations addressing sexual orientation bias. A growing body of research indicates that these interventions are helping to make LGBT students feel safer. Additionally, school districts that choose not to voluntarily implement these interventions may be convinced to do so by the increasing number of successful lawsuits that have held schools liable for failing to protect LGBT youth from pervasive harassment and violence.