Adolescent Gender Identity, Sexual Orientation, and Cannabis Use: Potential Mediations by Internalizing Disorder Risk

Background/Aims Adolescents who identify as nonbinary gender or as not heterosexual report higher levels of mental illness than their counterparts. Cannabis use is a commonly employed strategy to cope with mental illness symptoms among adolescents; however, cannabis use can have many deleterious health consequences for youth. Within the frame of minority stress theory, this study investigates the relationships between gender identity and sexual orientation, internalizing disorder symptoms, and cannabis use among adolescents. Method A national cross-sectional survey of a generalizable sample of high school students in Canada from the 2017 wave ( N = 15,191) of the Cancer Risk Assessment in Youth Survey was analyzed in spring 2019. Mediation analyses were completed to examine risk of internalizing disorder symptoms as a potential mediator of the association between (1) gender identity and (2) sexual orientation, and cannabis use. Results Indirect effects in all models show significantly higher levels of reported internalizing disorder symptoms for female (OR = 3.44, 95% CI [2.84, 4.18]) and nonbinary gender (OR = 3.75, 95% CI [2.16, 6.51]) compared with male students. Sexual minority adolescents had higher odds of internalizing disorder risk relative to non–sexual minority adolescents (OR = 3.13, 95% CI [2.63, 3.74]). Students who reported higher rates of internalizing disorder symptoms were more likely to have ever used cannabis. Patterns of partial mediation are also present among all groups. Discussion/Conclusions Findings can be used to better inform mental health interventions for adolescents. Future study should explore specific mental health stressors of vulnerable adolescent groups with respect to cannabis use as a coping mechanism.

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Inequalities in women’s medium or low secure mental health settings: a scoping review

Journal of Forensic Practice ◽

10.1108/jfp-04-2021-0017 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (3) ◽

pp. 254-271

Author(s):

Aile Trumm ◽

Kristina Brenisin ◽

Kieran Breen

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

High Quality Research ◽

Dysfunctional Family ◽

Health Service Provision ◽

Content Type ◽

Mental Health Settings ◽

Health Need ◽

The Impact

Purpose The more disadvantaged members of society generally experience poorer outcomes following the development of mental ill-health. The purpose of this paper is to scope the literature and synthesise findings on the inequalities and mental health within secure mental health settings. Design/methodology/approach Six electronic databases were searched to identify relevant studies. These were included if they examined the association between inequalities and mental health in women’s secure mental health settings. Findings Of the 608 studies reviewed, 14 met the inclusion criteria. In these papers, violence and/or abuse were described as the most prevalent inequalities. The second most frequent group of inequalities identified were socio-economic. Only three published studies researched the impact of ethnicities. Physical health, alcohol abuse and a dysfunctional family upbringing were only mentioned in one of the studies. Gender identity, transitioning and sexual orientation was not considered in any papers. These are areas, which require further investigation to determine their specific impact in this setting. Research limitations/implications This review highlights the dearth of high-quality research-based evidence underpinning an understanding of the impact of inequalities on women in secure mental health settings. The existing studies suggest that inequalities have a very particular impact and that intersectionality plays a key role. Further research is required to further understand how inequalities impact the lives of women in secure mental health settings. Practical implications The inequalities that women experience in relation to mental health need to be further researched in the context of intersectionality. There are also research gaps in terms of gender identity, sexual orientation and socio-economic background. Further primary research using a more complex methodological paradigm is required to explore these factors and their impact on mental health service provision. Social implications The role of inequalities should be considered as part of an overall care package, including the experiences of adverse childhood experiences and this should contribute towards the development of a trauma-based care approach. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to scope literature about inequalities experienced in women’s secure psychiatric settings considering intersectionality.

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Proving it: experiences of sexual minorities in the Canadian refugee determination system

10.32920/ryerson.14656989.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Casey Anderson

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Sexual Minority ◽

Sexual Minorities ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Gender Identities ◽

Theoretical Concepts ◽

Canadian Immigration ◽

Determination System ◽

And Gender

This paper explores refugee claimant’s experiences negotiating the Canadian Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB). Focusing on claims based on sexual orientation and gender identity, this paper investigates how claimants are made to ‘prove’ their sexual orientation and gender identity. The IRB and its decision makers require that claimants prove their identity as a refugee as well as a member of a sexual minority. Through an analysis of the existing literature and by integrating queer and feminist theoretical concepts on gender, sex, performativity and representation, it is apparent that the Canadian IRB functions as a heteronormative system in which the understanding of sexual orientation and gender identities are essentialized.

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Community attitudes on genetic research of gender identity, sexual orientation, and mental health

10.1101/685982 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Taylor R. Thomas ◽

Dabney Hofammann ◽

Brooke G. McKenna ◽

Anna I.R. van der Miesen ◽

Mark A. Stokes ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Genetic Research ◽

Mental Health Research ◽

Sex And Gender ◽

Willingness To Participate ◽

Biological Basis ◽

And Gender ◽

New Research

ABSTRACTBiological sex is an important factor in mental health, and a non-binary view of how variation in sex and gender influence mental health represents a new research frontier that may yield new insights. The recent acceleration of research into sexual orientation, gender identity, and mental health has generally been conducted without sufficient understanding of the opinions of sexual and gender minorities (SGM) toward this research. We surveyed 768 individuals, with an enrichment of LGBTQ+ stakeholders, for their opinions regarding genetic research of SGM and mental health. We found that the key predictors of attitudes toward genetic research specifically on SGM are 1) general attitudes toward genetic and mental health research 2) tolerance of SGM and associated behaviors 3) non-cisgender stakeholder status and 4) age of the respondent. Non-heterosexual stakeholder status was significantly associated with increased willingness to participate in genetic research if a biological basis for gender identity were discovered. We also found that non-stakeholders with a low tolerance for SGM indicated their SGM views would be positively updated if science showed a biological basis for their behaviors and identities. These findings represent an important first step in understanding and engaging the LGBTQ+ stakeholder community in the context of genetic research.

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Proving it: experiences of sexual minorities in the Canadian refugee determination system

10.32920/ryerson.14656989 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Casey Anderson

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Sexual Minority ◽

Sexual Minorities ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Gender Identities ◽

Theoretical Concepts ◽

Canadian Immigration ◽

Determination System ◽

And Gender

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Assessing sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and mental health concerns in tobacco use disorder treatment research: Measurement challenges and recommendations from a Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) pre-conference workshop

Nicotine & Tobacco Research ◽

10.1093/ntr/ntab201 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Andrea H Weinberger ◽

Marc L Steinberg ◽

Sarah D Mills ◽

Sarah S Dermody ◽

Jaimee L Heffner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Socioeconomic Status ◽

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Tobacco Use ◽

Health Concerns ◽

Tobacco Use Disorder ◽

Lower Socioeconomic ◽

Treatment Research ◽

Mental Health Concerns

Abstract This paper reports on topics discussed at a Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (SRNT) pre-conference workshop at the 2019 annual SRNT meeting. The goal of the preconference workshop was to help develop a shared understanding of the importance of several tobacco-related priority groups in tobacco use disorder treatment research and to highlight challenges in measurement related to these groups. The workshop focused on persons with minoritized sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation identities; persons with minoritized racial and ethnic backgrounds; persons with lower socioeconomic status (SES); and persons with mental health concerns. In addition to experiencing commercial tobacco-related health disparities, these groups are also underrepresented in tobacco research, including tobacco use disorder (TUD) treatment studies. Importantly, there is wide variation in how and whether researchers are identifying variation within these priority groups. Best practices for measuring and reporting sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, SES, and mental health concerns in TUD treatment research are needed. This paper provides information about measurement challenges when including these groups in TUD treatment research and specific recommendations about how to measure these groups and assess potential disparities in outcomes. The goal of this paper is to encourage TUD treatment researchers to use measurement best practices in these priority groups in an effort to conduct meaningful and equity-promoting research. Increasing the inclusion and visibility of these groups in TUD treatment research will help to move the field forward in decreasing tobacco-related health disparities. Implications Tobacco-related disparities exist for a number of priority groups including, among others, women, individuals with minoritized sexual and gender identities, individuals with minoritized racial and ethnic backgrounds, individuals with lower socioeconomic status, and individuals with mental health concerns. Research on tobacco use disorder (TUD) treatments for many of these subgroups is lacking. Accurate assessment and consideration of these subgroups will provide needed information about efficacious and effective TUD treatments, about potential mediators and moderators, and for accurately describing study samples, all critical elements for reducing tobacco-related disparities, and improving diversity, equity, and inclusion in TUD treatment research.

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COVID-19-Related Household Job Loss and Mental Health in a Nationwide United States Sample of Sexual Minority Adolescents

Behavioral Medicine ◽

10.1080/08964289.2021.1977604 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Luis Armando Parra ◽

Rory Patrick O’Brien ◽

Sheree Michelle Schrager ◽

Jeremy Thomas Goldbach

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

United States ◽

Sexual Minority ◽

Job Loss ◽

Minority Adolescents

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Sexual Orientation and Suicide Attempt Disparities Among US Adolescents: 2009–2017

10.1542/9781610025409-sexual_orientation ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 73-83

Author(s):

Julia Raifman ◽

Brittany M. Charlton ◽

Renata Arrington-Sanders ◽

Philip A. Chan ◽

Jack Rusley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sexual Orientation ◽

Sexual Minority ◽

Adolescent Suicide ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Same Sex ◽

Logistic Regression Models ◽

Sexual Orientation Identity ◽

Minority Adolescents ◽

Sexual Contacts ◽

Minority Sexual Orientation

BACKGROUND Sexual minority adolescents face mental health disparities relative to heterosexual adolescents. We evaluated temporal changes in US adolescent reported sexual orientation and suicide attempts by sexual orientation. METHODS We used Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance data from 6 states that collected data on sexual orientation identity and 4 states that collected data on sex of sexual contacts continuously between 2009 and 2017. We estimated odds ratios using logistic regression models to evaluate changes in reported sexual orientation identity, sex of consensual sexual contacts, and suicide attempts over time and calculated marginal effects (MEs). RESULTS The proportion of adolescents reporting minority sexual orientation identity nearly doubled, from 7.3% in 2009 to 14.3% in 2017 (ME: 0.8 percentage points [pp] per year; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.6 to 0.9 pp). The proportion of adolescents reporting any same-sex sexual contact increased by 70%, from 7.7% in 2009 to 13.1% in 2017 (ME: 0.6 pp per year; 95% CI: 0.4 to 0.8 pp). Although suicide attempts declined among students identifying as sexual minorities (ME: –0.8 pp per year; 95% CI: –1.4 to –0.2 pp), these students remained >3 times more likely to attempt suicide relative to heterosexual students in 2017. Sexual minority adolescents accounted for an increasing proportion of all adolescent suicide attempts. CONCLUSIONS The proportion of adolescents reporting sexual minority identity and same-sex sexual contacts increased between 2009 and 2017. Disparities in suicide attempts persist. Developing and implementing approaches to reducing sexual minority youth suicide is critically important.

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Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer People

10.1093/med/9780190610999.003.0025 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Laura Erickson-Schroth ◽

Antonia Barba

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Clinical Care ◽

Barriers To Treatment ◽

Clinical Issues ◽

Case Examples ◽

Increased Risk ◽

The Media ◽

And Gender

Although discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity is more prevalent in the media now than ever before, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) population continues to encounter stigma, disproportionately high rates of trauma, and a resulting increased risk for developing mental illness. These factors, together with a conflicted history with the field of psychiatry, can create barriers to treatment that require practitioners to be active in their approach to providing LGBTQ-inclusive care. This chapter uses case examples to illustrate the range of psychosocial and clinical issues experienced by this population and suggests approaches for improving clinical care. It also discusses strategies for creating safe and LGBTQ-affirming environments.

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Mental health issues and discrimination among older LGBTI people

International Psychogeriatrics ◽

10.1017/s1041610214002671 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 27 (9) ◽

pp. 1411-1416 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Jean Tinney ◽

Briony Dow ◽

Phillip Maude ◽

Rachel Purchase ◽

Carolyn Whyte ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Sexual Orientation ◽

Gender Identity ◽

Diverse Group ◽

Health Issues ◽

Single Group ◽

Individual Group ◽

Mental Health Issues ◽

Gender Diverse ◽

Lgbt People

LGBT is an acronym used to describe people from diverse sexual orientation or gender identity, people that are gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. LGBT people do not constitute a single group nor does each individual “group” constitute a homogeneous unity. However, as higher rates of depression and/or anxiety have been observed in older LGBT people, compared to their heterosexual counterparts (Guasp, 2011) there is a need to raise the profile of mental health issues amongst these groups. The additional letter I is also often included in the acronym LGBTI as intersex people are often included as another gender diverse group. However, there is very little research that includes intersex people and none on older intersex people's mental health so this editorial is restricted to consideration of older LGBT people.

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