Exploring the Mother–Adolescent Relationship as a Promotive Resource for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth

Abstract

Research often analyzes gender minority youth and sexual minority youth as a single group, a practice that obscures differences in how gender identity and sexual orientation shape health. The present study uses intersectionality to explore similarities and differences in the relationships between minority stress theory variables in a sample of 28 gender minority and 135 sexual minority youth of color. We also explore the mother-adolescent relationship as a potential promotive resource for minority stress research with youth. Results find few differences in minority stressors, promotive resources, or health between sexual and gender minority youth. However, different patterns in the correlations between stressors, resources, and health were observed for each group, underscoring the need for researchers to consider sexual and gender minority youth as distinct groups. Furthermore, study findings suggest that the maternal relationship may be an important promotive resource for both sexual and gender minority youth.

Exploring Cross-Sectional Predictors of Suicide Ideation, Attempt, and Risk in a Large Online Sample of Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Youth and Young Adults

“…1 The study findings are generally in line with previous research on suicide ideation and attempt within youth samples, which have identified victimization, lack of family and friend support, poor self-concept, and depressive symptoms as risk factors, [31][32][33][34] as well as research with TGNC samples that have found similar relationships. 2,5,8,12,15,[20][21][22][23][24] The findings are also consistent with the minority stress perspective, which emphasizes the role of both minority-specific and general factors in explaining higher rates of mental health concerns. [16][17][18][19] Nearly all proposed predictors were correlated with all three suicide-related outcomes and each set of factors (demographics, minority stress, social support, and depressive symptoms) explained significant variance in each outcome.…”

Sexual and Gender Minority Health Disparities as a Social Issue: How Stigma and Intergroup Relations Can Explain and Reduce Health Disparities

“…Chaudoir, Wang, and Pachankis () discuss tools that social issues researchers can employ to promote coping with stigma to reduce disparities specifically for sexual minorities. Bouris and Hill () examine the mother–adolescent relationship as a promotive resource in context of sexual and gender minority youth of color. Finally, as the healthcare context emerges as one main area that intergroup relations research becomes relevant, Smith and Turell () presents a qualitative analysis of focus group data, describing healthcare experiences and best practices in healthcare encounters, calling for further training among healthcare providers to reduce disparities through improved patient–provider interactions (or intergroup relations) with sexual and gender minorities.…”

Parents Matter: Associations Between Parent Connectedness and Sexual Health Indicators Among Transgender and Gender‐Diverse Adolescents

“…For example, TGD youth with strong family relationships were less likely to experience mental health problems or engage in substance abuse than those with tenuous family relationships. However, findings from the limited number of studies specifically addressing sexual health outcomes among TGD youth were mixed, and relied on samples limited in size and ethnic diversity 14,34–36 . Furthermore, samples from these studies included youth assigned male at birth (AMAB) nearly exclusively; youth assigned female at birth (AFAB) were included in only one study, and fewer than 3% of the sample reported being AFAB.…”

“…However, fi ndings from the limited number of studies specifi cally addressing sexual health outcomes among TGD youth were mixed, and relied on samples limited in size and ethnic diversity. 14,[34][35][36] Furthermore, samples from these studies included youth assigned male at birth (AMAB) nearly exclusively; youth assigned female at birth (AFAB) were included in only one study, and fewer than 3% of the sample reported being AFAB. This limitation is concerning, because associations between specifi c risky sexual behaviors and parent or family connectedness often vary on the basis of sex assigned at birth.…”