The Center for the Study of Social Policy’s (CSSP) newest policy report highlights the need to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth in child welfare by building cross-system collaborations. Youth who identify as LGBTQ or gender-nonconforming are over-represented in child welfare, and they experience higher instances of homelessness and poor developmental outcomes. […]
Research / journal article
Mental Health of Transgender Children Who Are Supported in Their Identities
Transgender children who have socially transitioned, that is, who identify as the gender “opposite” their natal sex and are supported to live openly as that gender, are increasingly visible in society, yet we know nothing about their mental health. Previous work with children with gender identity disorder (GID; now termed gender dysphoria) has found remarkably […]
The Effects of Cumulative Victimization on Mental Health Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Adolescents and Young Adults
Since 2010, more than 613,000 people have pledged to combat bullying of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens as part of the “It Gets Better” campaign. And a new Northwestern Medicine study has found that most adolescents would agree that it does, in fact, get better. But not all. Discrimination, harassment and assault of […]
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Mental Illness Stigma and Discrimination Among Californians Experiencing Mental Health Challenges
Racial and ethnic minorities are significantly more likely than whites to delay or forego needed mental health care, and, if they do seek treatment, they are more likely than whites to drop out (McGuire and Miranda, 2008). Mental illness stigma and discrimination are thought to contribute to these racial/ethnic disparities in service utilization (U.S. Department […]
Mental Health Inequalities among Gay and Bisexual Men
Young gay and bisexual men may be much more likely to attempt suicide or harm themselves than their older counterparts, and blacks are at greater risk than whites, British researchers report. “We know minority groups are at higher risk of poor mental health than the heterosexual majority, however the mental health differences within sexual minorities […]
The Importance of Treating for Trauma in Juvenile Justice-Involved Youth
Research over the past several decades has established that youth exposure to violence is a widespread and significant problem. This is particularly true for youth involved in the juvenile justice system, as research has shown that up to 90 percent of these youth have histories of violence exposure, with many reporting multiple serious incidents. Violence […]