TY - JOUR
T1 - Emotional distress among lgbt youth
T2 - The influence of perceived discrimination based on sexual orientation
AU - Almeida, Joanna
AU - Johnson, Renee M.
AU - Corliss, Heather L.
AU - Molnar, Beth E.
AU - Azrael, Deborah
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments The Boston Youth Survey 2006 (BYS) was funded by a grant from the CDC/NCIPC (U49CE00740) to the Harvard
PY - 2009/8
Y1 - 2009/8
N2 - The authors evaluated emotional distress among 9th-12th grade students, and examined whether the association between being lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgendered (i.e., "LGBT") and emotional distress was mediated by perceptions of having been treated badly or discriminated against because others thought they were gay or lesbian. Data come from a school-based survey in Boston, Massachusetts (n = 1,032); 10% were LGBT, 58% were female, and ages ranged from 13 to 19 years. About 45% were Black, 31% were Hispanic, and 14% were White. LGBT youth scored significantly higher on the scale of depressive symptomatology. They were also more likely than heterosexual, non-transgendered youth to report suicidal ideation (30% vs. 6%, p < 0.0001) and self-harm (21% vs. 6%, p < 0.0001). Mediation analyses showed that perceived discrimination accounted for increased depressive symptomatology among LGBT males and females, and accounted for an elevated risk of self-harm and suicidal ideation among LGBT males. Perceived discrimination is a likely contributor to emotional distress among LGBT youth.
AB - The authors evaluated emotional distress among 9th-12th grade students, and examined whether the association between being lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgendered (i.e., "LGBT") and emotional distress was mediated by perceptions of having been treated badly or discriminated against because others thought they were gay or lesbian. Data come from a school-based survey in Boston, Massachusetts (n = 1,032); 10% were LGBT, 58% were female, and ages ranged from 13 to 19 years. About 45% were Black, 31% were Hispanic, and 14% were White. LGBT youth scored significantly higher on the scale of depressive symptomatology. They were also more likely than heterosexual, non-transgendered youth to report suicidal ideation (30% vs. 6%, p < 0.0001) and self-harm (21% vs. 6%, p < 0.0001). Mediation analyses showed that perceived discrimination accounted for increased depressive symptomatology among LGBT males and females, and accounted for an elevated risk of self-harm and suicidal ideation among LGBT males. Perceived discrimination is a likely contributor to emotional distress among LGBT youth.
KW - Depression
KW - Emotional distress
KW - LGBT
KW - Self-harm
KW - Suicide
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U2 - 10.1007/s10964-009-9397-9
DO - 10.1007/s10964-009-9397-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 19636742
AN - SCOPUS:67649232041
SN - 0047-2891
VL - 38
SP - 1001
EP - 1014
JO - Journal of Youth and Adolescence
JF - Journal of Youth and Adolescence
IS - 7
ER -