Family Rejection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes in White and Latino Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Young Adults

By C. Ryan, David M. Huebner, R. Díaz, Joaquín Sánchez. Pediatrics, 2009

1,668 citations recorded by the source corpus.

OBJECTIVE. We examined specific family rejecting reactions to sexual orientation and gender expression during adolescence as predictors of current health problems in a sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults. METHODS. On the basis of previously collected in-depth interviews, we developed quantitative scales to assess retrospectively in young adults the frequency of parental and caregiver reactions to a lesbian, gay, or bisexual sexual orientation during adolescence. Our survey instrument also included measures of 9 negative health indicators, including mental health, substance abuse, and sexual risk. The survey was administered to a sample of 224 white and Latino self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults, aged 21 to 25, recruited through diverse venues and organizations. Participants completed self-report questionnaires by using either computer-assisted or pencil-and-paper surveys. RESULTS. Higher rates of family rejection were significantly associated with poorer health outcomes. On the basis of odds ratios, lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who reported higher levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to report having engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection. Latino men reported the highest number of negative family reactions to their sexual orientation in adolescence. CONCLUSIONS. This study establishes a clear link between specific parental and caregiver rejecting behaviors and negative health problems in young lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults. Providers who serve this population should assess and help educate families about the impact of rejecting behaviors. Counseling families, providing anticipatory guidance, and referring families for counseling and support can help make a critical difference in helping decrease risk and increasing well-being for lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth.

Subfields: Infectious Diseases, Reproductive Medicine, Social Psychology

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/5b95069f8ef001261169772174b8fc8f0c3ba8dc

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Citations in the corpus

LGBTQ+ Latino/a Young People’s Interpretations of Stigma and Mental Health: An Intersectional Minority Stress Perspective (2020, background): “Specifically, gay and lesbian Latino/a young adults may endure mental health inequalities in the form of depression and suicide ideation (Ryan et al. 2009), and while scholars have documented the mental health outcomes for LGBTQ1 youth of color broadly (Toomey et al.”
Negative Parental Responses to Coming Out and Family Functioning in a Sample of Lesbian and Gay Young Adults (2015, background): “2010) to, in some extreme cases, suicide (Ryan et al. 2009).”
“Family Support Would Have Been Like Amazing” (2017, background): “Family rejection can have devastating consequences for LGBTQ youth, as this rejection has been associated with higher rates of suicide, substance abuse, and unprotected sex (Rosario, Schrimshaw, Hunter, & Braun, 2009; Ryan et al., 2009) and contributes to the disproportionate number of homeless LGBT”
Mental Health in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Youth (2016, background): “One study assessed differences between white and Latino LGBQ youth (Ryan et al. 2009) and found that Latino males reported more depression and suicidal ideation compared to white males, whereas rates were higher for white females compared to Latinas.”
Disclosure of Sexual Orientation and Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Youths’ Adjustment: Associations with Past and Current Parental Acceptance and Rejection (2012, result): “The latter finding is in line with recent studies linking negative parental reactions following disclosure to substance abuse (Rosario et al., 2009; Ryan et al., 2009).”
Mental Health of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth and Young Adults: Differential Effects of Age, Gender, Religiosity, and Sexual Orientation (2012, background): “…day-to-day perceptions of acceptance, rejection, and support by family and friends, rather than the societal and familial victimization of LGB youth and young adults that is often highlighted in research on LGB youth (D’Augelli, 2006; Floyd, Stein, Harter, Allison, & Nye, 1999; Ryan et al., 2009).”