Gender Archives - National Wraparound Initiative (NWI)

Better Research Needed To Solve the LGBTQ Youth Mental Health Crisis

September 24, 2023 | NWI

This opinion piece from Scientific American notes that young people do not fall into neat categories of race, sexual orientation or gender identity, and argues that research into LGBTQ mental health must take a more nuanced approach.

Read the editorial »

Evidence and Action to Support and Affirm LGBTQI+

April 21, 2023 | NWI

This report from SAMHSA provides behavioral health professionals, researchers, policymakers and other audiences with a comprehensive research overview and accurate information about effective and ineffective therapeutic practices related to youth of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity.

Read the report »

Long-Term Outcomes from Gender-Affirming Hormones

October 24, 2022 | NWI

According to a new Dutch study, years after young teens initiate puberty suppression and hormone treatment, nearly all continue to embrace the transition process as young adults.

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Girls and Young Women More Likely to Drink Alcohol

May 13, 2022 | NWI

For at least the past two decades, data showed that boys and young men were more likely to drink than girls and young women. However, data now show that girls and young women, ages 12 to 20, are drinking more alcohol than their male counterparts. Alcohol use by people under the legal drinking age of 21 has decreased over the past few decades, but the decreases have been more pronounced for males than females. In 2020, more girls and young women reported past-month alcohol use than boys and young men.

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Fear of Coming Out for LGBTQ+ Youth in Foster Care

November 14, 2021 | NWI

This editorial in USA Today argues that, for many LGBTQ+ young people living in foster care, celebrating their identity openly could have dire consequences. It is fear of these consequences that silences LGBTQ+ young people and creates an invisible population that is overrepresented in foster care.

Read the editorial »

LGBTQ Youth Mental Health: Trevor Project Survey Highlights Disparities

June 13, 2021 | NWI

The Trevor Project — the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for young LGBTQ people — has published the results of its third annual national survey on the mental health of LGBTQ youth. The findings reveal the consequences of the ongoing pandemic and call for urgent policy solutions to curb a mental health crisis.

Read the survey results »

Video Reviews Terminology Important When Working With LGBTQ+

June 13, 2021 | NWI

This educational animated short, created by the Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity, reviews basic terminology that is important to know when working with people who have diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, or expressions.

Watch the video »

Experiences and Well-Being of Sexual and Gender Diverse Youth in Foster Care

December 2, 2020 | NWI

This is the first survey to report on the proportion of youth in foster care in New York City who are LGBTQAI+ and differences in their experiences compared to those of youth who are not LGBTQAI+. This survey was commissioned by the New York City Administration for Children’s Services (ACS), which is committed to serving youth in foster care that are LGBTQAI+. This report provides the detailed findings from this survey.

Read the report »

STUDIES TAKE CLOSER LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES FOR LGBTQ YOUTH

April 24, 2018 | Emily Taylor

This news story summarizes results of a few recent studies looking at the instance of mental health challenges among LGBTQ youth. One study that examined medical records found mental health diagnoses were more common for transgender and gender-nonconforming youth. A second study
of survey data from almost 82,000 high school students in Minnesota found LGBTQ adolescents were more likely to experience abuse and victimization than heterosexual teens. Notably, the majority of youth didn’t experience any abuse, bullying or victimization.

In his commentary on the studies, Dr. Stanley Ray Vance of the Child and Adolescent Gender Center at the University of California, San Francisco noted: “It should be emphasized that LGBTQ youth are incredibly resilient, but they unfortunately face poor mental health outcomes and adversity. Their childhood environment and experiences matter and reducing rejection, abuse and other adverse events could potentially make a difference.”

Read the article about the studies»

Community Schools Can Make a Difference for LGBTQ Youth

January 5, 2017 | Emily Taylor

This recent post from the Center for American Progress highlights the many benefits of community schools that “leverage partnerships between government agencies and community-based service providers to improve the educational achievement of students by caring for the overall well-being of students and their families”. The authors argue that community schools can also improve outcomes for LGBTQ youth by providing access to services and supports.

Read about community school programs that support LGBTQ youth»