1. Barriers on the Road to Success: LGBT Youth and Their Families
Charles P. Hoy-Ellis, PhD, MSW, LCSW
University of Utah, College of Social Work
2017 Student Advocacy Services Summer Conference
Heber, UT – June 8, 2017

2. Overview Key terms & definitions
Barriers to success: LGBT youth & families
What we can do

3. Gallup National Poll Yes No DK/Refuse 18 to 29-years old 6.4% 90.1%
Do you, personally, identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender? (n > 120,000)
Yes No
DK/Refuse
18 to 29-years old
6.4%
90.1%
3.5%
Gates & Newport, Gallup Daily Tracking; June 1 – Sept. 30, 2012

4. Lesbian
Gay
Bisexual
Transgender
Queer
Intersex
Ally
Orientation
Identity
Attraction
Behavior

5. March 2017: Utah lawmakers, Governor Herbert repeal law forbidding discussion in classrooms of anything that could be construed as "promotion" of homosexuality”

6. Barriers Homelessness Substance use Depression, anxiety
Rejection, social isolation
Missing, leaving school

7. 12-Month Prevalence (%, rounded)
…felt sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 or more weeks in a row…
Sexual Orientation
12-Month Prevalence (%, rounded)
Overall 30
Heterosexual 26
LGB-Identity 60
Not Sure 47
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2016 [Kann, et al]

8. Suicidal Behavior 2015: Grades 9 – 12
Sexual Orientation
12-Month Prevalence (%, rounded)
Ideation
Plan
Attempt TX
Overall 18 15 9 3
Heterosexual 12 6 2
LGB-Identity 43 38 29
Not Sure 32 28 13 5
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016 [Kann, et al]; Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System [YRBSS]

9. Suicide is the leading cause of death for LGBT youth in America
American Medical Association, 2016

10. Suicidal Behavior 2015: Grades 9 – 12
Sexual Orientation
12-Month Prevalence (%, rounded)
Ideation
Plan
Attempt TX
Overall 18 15 9 3
Heterosexual 12 6 2
LGB-Identity 43 38 29
Not Sure 32 28 13 5
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016 [Kann, et al]; Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System [YRBSS]

11. “Utah officials unsure why youth suicide rate has nearly tripled since 2007”
Salt Lake City Tribune, July 2, 2016

13. Minority Stres General Stressors Minority Stressors: Discrimination
Minority Stressors: Concealment, Internalized Stigma
(Meyer, 2003)

14. Health Equity Promotion Model
Multi-level context
Structural levels
(social exclusion, institutional heterosexism)
Individual levels (micro- aggressions, discrimination, victimization)
Adverse and Health- Promoting Pathways
Psychosocial (distinct social relations, social support, social network, LGBT community integration)
Behavioral (exercise, diet, preventative care, sexual behavior, smoking)
Biological (higher cortisol levels, allostatic load)
Health
Physical
(physical health-related quality of life, HIV, obesity, cancer,
CVD, disability)
Mental
(mental health- related quality of life, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation)
Social Positions (intersectionality)
Life course (risks and opportunities)
Fredriksen-Goldsen, K. I., Simoni, J. M., Walters, K. L., Kim, H.-J., Lehavot, K., Yang, J., Hoy-Ellis, C. P., & Muraco, A (2014)

15. Shh, Silence Helps Homophobia

16. “Utah officials unsure why youth suicide rate has nearly tripled since 2007”
Salt Lake City Tribune, July 2, 2016

17. Barrier We don’t know ‘the [LGBT] truth’ (in Utah) Do we want to?
Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System (YRBSS)

18. Public health, school-based actions, policies key to LGBT student success 
Schools, communities, can facilitate access to education, information, health care services, programs & interventions to support LGBT youth
(CDC, 2016)

19. Health-related, early life behaviors extend into adulthood, with potential life-long negative impacts on health, educational attainment, employment, housing, & overall quality of life.
LGBT students need coordinated action to meet their needs and improve their health and well-being.
(CDC, 2016)

20. Outreach efforts, educational programs to provide parents & families with information, skills
(CDC, 2016)

21. Thank You
Contact:

22. References
American Medical Association, (2016). LGBT Youth Suicide Prevention Resources. Washington, DC. Retrieved from committee/glbt-resources/lgbt-youth-suicide-prevention.page
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, (2016). Health Risks among Sexual Minority Youth. Adolescent and School Health. Atlanta, GA. Retrieved from
Fredriksen-Goldsen, K. I., Simoni, J. M., Walters, K. L., Kim, H.-J., Lehavot, K., Yang, J., Hoy-Ellis, C. P., & Muraco, A. (2014). The health equity promotion model: Reconceptualization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)health disparities. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry.
Gates, G. J., & Newport, F. (2012). Special Report: 3.4% of U.S. Adults Identify as LGBT. Inaugural Gallup findings based on more than 120,000 interviews. Retrieved from gbt.aspx
Hatzenbuehler, M. L., Phelan, J. C., & Link, B. G. (2013). Stigma as a fundamental cause of population health inequalities. American Journal of Public Health, 103(5), doi: /AJPH
Institute of Medicine. (2011). The health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people: Building a foundation for better understanding. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Kann et al, (2016) Sexual identity, sex of sexual contacts, and health-related behaviors among students in grades United States and selected sites, Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Surveillance Summaries / August 12, 2016 / 65(9), 1–202. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2016). Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health Topics & Objectives. Retrieved from and-transgender-health/objectives
Utah Department of Health, (2016). Complete Health Indicator of Suicide. Retrieved from
Walch, T., & Collins, L. M. (Jan, Oct. 2016). LDS Church leaders mourn reported deaths in Mormon LGBT community. Deseret News: Faith. Retrieved from mourn-reported-deaths-in-Mormon-LGBT-community.html?pg=all