Critical Analysis #9

LGBTQ+ youth face numerous challenges at individual, family, peer, and societal levels, all of which have heavy impact on their mental health. at the individual level, they may struggle with identity acceptance, internalized stigma, and mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. In fact, "a national study of high school students, found that nearly half of sexual minority youth (and a third of those unsure of their sexual orientation) seriously considered suicide in the past year, and nearly a quarter of sexual minority youth reported suicidal behavior in the past year" (Kann et al., 2018) . At the family level, rejection, and conflict are common, leaving many without essential support. Among peers, bullying, social exclusion, and difficulties in forming safe relationships contribute to isolation and low self-esteem. Societally, discrimination, violence, and a severe lack of representation create additional stressors. These challenges lead to higher rates of depression, anxiety, PTSD, substance abuse, and suicide attempts. The substance abuse also occurs at a much higher rate than their heterosexual counterparts. "National data and meta-analyses of previous studies indicate that SGM youth overall are more likely to use alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs (Plöderl& Tremblay, 2015). However, protective factors such as supportive families, affirming environments, and access to LGBTQ+-inclusive mental health resources can significantly improve outcomes and reduce the high suicide rates that we see among queer teens.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Critical Analysis 13

 Neurodiversity refers to the idea that neurological differences like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and others are normal variations of the human brain, not deficits. A disability is a physical, cognitive, or emotional condition that can limit a person’s movements, senses, or activities. Discrimination against neurodiverse individuals and people with disabilities is built into societal systems through inaccessible environments, rigid educational and employment structures, and pervasive stereotypes—similar to how systemic racism operates by embedding inequities into policies, norms, and institutions. The social model of disability shifts the focus from "fixing" individuals to changing society to remove barriers, contrasting with the medical model , which treats disability as a personal flaw needing cure. Intersectionality reveals that neurodiverse and disabled individuals who are also part of other minoritized groups (such as Black, Indigenous, or LGBTQ+ communities) often face com...
Read more

Critical Analysis 10

I think it's important to have these centers on campus because it allows everyone to have somewhere to go. Often, those from marginalized communities struggle to connect with others, due to their being a huge difference in upbringing and lived experiences. CAPS may be a resources available for all students, but students from marginalized communities find it difficult to relate to the person trying to help them. A white person can't possibly understand someone who is black just they have two very different lived experiences. We have to consider intersectionality and that culturally, black Americans and white Americans have very very different lived experiences. Putting aside racism and classism and sexism, they have two very very different cultures, and someone who is white may not know how to be supportive while also supporting their culture. Not just that but black Americans face problems that white Americans cannot even begin to understand. By having a black cultural center, ...
Read more