Paradoxical family practices: LGBTQ+ young people, mental health and wellbeing

Abstract

This article will explore how LGBTQ+ young people sustain, and in some cases survive, family relationships. We develop the concept of ‘paradoxical family practices’ and use this to demonstrate the ways in which LGBTQ+ young people manage family life through everyday emotion work. This highlights: (1) how families ordinarily navigate heteronormativity and ‘issues’ of gender/sexuality; (2) the efficacy of ‘paradoxical family practices’ as a conceptual tool; (3) the value of emotion-centred multiple qualitative methods to explore the lives of LGBTQ+ young people and mental health. Findings derive from a small-scale UK study funded by the Wellcome Trust (UNS39780) and were generated through a two-stage methodology comprising digital/paper emotion maps and qualitative interviews with LGBTQ+ young people aged 16–25 (n = 12) followed by diary methods and follow-up interviews (n = 9). Interviews were also completed with ‘family members’ (n = 7).

Family trouble: Heteronormativity, emotion work and queer youth mental health

“…For queer youth, their transgression of heteronormativity, not fulfilling family expectations, and lack of autonomy can threaten their security and family connection. Our data analysis suggests that the emotions required to decipher sets of ‘paradoxical family practices’ ( Gabb et al, 2020 ) required young people to navigate family relationships that did not fit a standard norm. Making sense of family-specific relationships and surviving stressful family settings were significant to mental health and well-being.…”

“…These views were drawing on cultural expectations that biological family should be a site of love, happiness and positive family relationships ( Gabb, 2008 ; Ahmed, 2010 ). Being able to explore their sexual and gender identity in a safe environment and simultaneously remain bonded to their families was very important to their mental health and well-being ( Gabb et al, 2020 ). Josh (gay, Cis-male, White British) emphasised the importance of some of his family accepting his sexuality and staying connected to them despite his mother’s homophobia (she threw him out of home): Everything’s changed with these because they accept who I am, and they are not fazed by it.…”

The Politics of LGBT+ Health Inequality: Conclusions from a UK Scoping Review

“…The review yielded 42 studies relating to LGBT+ mental health. Of these included papers, 10 were qualitative papers [ 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 ], 22 were quantitative papers [ 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 ], 6 were review papers [ 97 , 98 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 102 ], and 4 were mixed-methods papers [ 103 , 104 , 105 , 106 ]. Broadly, these papers were thematically divided across three areas.…”

“…Secondly, 22 papers were concerned with the incidence of mental health problems, and the risk factors associated with the elevated rates of mental health problems within LGBT+ populations [ 75 , 76 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 , 90 , 91 , 92 , 93 , 94 , 95 , 96 , 97 , 100 , 101 , 102 , 106 ]. Thirdly, 14 papers were concerned with LGBT+ people’s experiences of having mental health problems and treatment, and explaining the factors contributing to their poor mental health [ 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 , 69 , 71 , 72 , 73 , 74 , 88 , 89 , 103 , 104 , 105 ].…”

Experiences of and responses to disempowerment, violence, and injustice within the relational lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people

“…They suggest that LGBTQ+ 2 inequalities in homelessness, including interactions with family of origin, will to some degree be influenced by living in a heteronormative society, in which overt social exclusion and/or an internalised sense that one does not belong may be acute. Gabb et al (2020) also explore the impact of families on the experience of LGBTQ+ young people and mental health, in a qualitative UK study. Their starting point is to move away from the dominant individualised model that focuses on family function.…”