Drew Cleary, LAPC, NCC
October 21, 2021
Being a teenager is already difficult. It’s the time of life when a teenager is beginning to make decisions about identity: who am I? Who do I want to be? What will my friends think of me? What will my parents think of me? Not to mention the fact that teens also have to balance schoolwork, after-school activities, and maybe even jobs. It gets tough. Add on top of that issues with sexuality and gender identity. That’s a lot to have to carry.
Mental health issues in the LGBT population are already higher than those for straight people [1]. These mental health issues include depression and anxiety which can be made worse by the fact that LGBT people also experience discrimination [1]. These issues are also higher for LGBT youth [2]. Teens who are out at school can face greater rates of discrimination and victimization [2]. However, when adults think back to their teenage years, they are glad they came out when they did [2]. So what can we as adults do to help our LGBT teens?
The first thing we need to do is understand the mental health issues that LGBT teens face. According to the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) climate survey, many LGBT students reported not feeling safe at school [3]. This feeling of not being safe can lead to negative effects on school performance [3]. Many LGBT students also reported hearing negative and discriminatory language at school, and when this language was reported to teachers and other adults, nothing happened [3]. There was also a large number of LGBT students in the report who said that they experienced verbal and even physical harassment [3]. For these students, school was an unsafe place.
63% of the students in the study reported experiencing depression or anxiety [3]. Read that again. 63% of the students in the study experienced depression or anxiety. According to a report by the Trevor Project, 39% of the youth they surveyed seriously considered suicide [4]. These rates are higher than straight youth [5]. LGBT youth are also more likely to develop substance abuse issues [5].
So what can we do? How can we offer help? Teen Vogue surveyed several LGBT youth and found that having allies at school is helpful [6]. Respondents stated that having an adult to confide in was helpful as was having LGBT-inclusive education [6]. Another way to help is to encourage your school personnel and administration to take bullying and discrimination seriously [3]. Take these reports seriously. Take the health of your students- all of your students- seriously. Commit to create a safe environment for all of your students regardless of sexuality and gender. Another way is to create or assist in creating an LGBT-supportive school club [3].
Finally, just listen. Listen to your teen and reserve judgment. Listen to what your teen is saying with acceptance. Your teen needs you during this time. Your teen needs your support and stability. You won’t have all the answers. No one does. But the most valuable thing you can offer your teen is your love.
[1] Walch, S., Ngamake, S., Bovornusvakool, W., & Walker, S. (2016). Discrimination, internalized homophobia, and concealment in sexual minority physical and mental health. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 3, 37-48.
[2] Russel, S., Toomey, R., Ryan, C., & Diaz, R. (2014). Being out at school: The implications for school victimization and young adult adjustment. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 84 (6), 635-643.
[3] Kosciw, J., Greytak, E., Zongrone, A., Clark, C., & Truong, N. (2018). The 2017 national school climate survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth in our nation’s schools. New York: GLSEN.
[4] The Trevor Project (2019). National Survey on LGBTQ mental health. New York, New York: The Trevor Project.
[5] Fiorellini, N. (2019, September 3). What it’s like to be out as LGBTQ at school. Teen Vogue. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/what-its-like-to-be-out-as-lgbtq-at-school