We’ve written before about the groundbreaking research from San Francisco State University’s Family Acceptance Project, and interviewed the project’s director, Caitlin Ryan about the difference supportive families can make for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.
Now a new publication from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, "A Practitioner's Resource Guide: Helping Families to Support Their LGBT Children," (PDF link) aims to help health and social service professionals put the project’s “family intervention” approach into practice.
Research by Ryan and others has shown that youth who are rejected by their families because of sexual orientation have higher risks of suicide and depression and are more likely than their peers to use illegal drugs and have unprotected sex. Researchers have also learned that different levels of rejection have varying effects on young people’s well-being. That means helping families become even a little more accepting can make a difference for LGBTQ teens.
http://ncfy.acf.hhs.gov/news/2014/04/learn-how-you-can-help-families-support-their-lgbtq-children
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