Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T15:30:14.329Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

9 - Family and Relationship Dynamics and LGBTQ+ Mental Health

from Part II - LGBTQ+ Lifespan Development and Family Dynamics

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 October 2024

By
David Ford ,
Marcus Smith ,
Karli Bigler ,
Harley Locklear ,
DeManuel Edmondson ,
Amber L. Pope ,
Narketta Sparkman-Key  and
Jeffry Moe
Edited by
Jeffry Moe ,
Amber L. Pope ,
Dilani M. Perera  and
Narketta Sparkman-Key
Jeffry Moe
Affiliation:
Old Dominion University, Virginia
Amber L. Pope
Affiliation:
William & Mary
Dilani M. Perera
Affiliation:
Fairfield University, Connecticut
Narketta Sparkman-Key
Affiliation:
James Madison University, Virginia
Get access

Summary

Family and relationship dynamics are essential for conceptualizing LGBTQ+ mental health and wellness. The family of origin can be a vital source of social support for LGBTQ+ youth, and it serves as the foundation for successful lifelong development. Harmful family-of-origin experiences can create vulnerabilities for LGBTQ+ people as they negotiate their needs across multiple systems. In this chapter, we present a critique of the heteronormative and cisnormative assumptions that older family systems models are based on. In addition, alternative models for conceptualizing LGBTQ+ family and relationship systems are discussed. Key domains such as spiritual trauma, LGBTQ+ parenting, homelessness and LGBTQ+ youth, and the importance of chosen families for LGBTQ+ people are also presented to inform best practice with and on behalf of LGBTQ+ people.

Keywords

Family systemscoming outspiritual traumachosen familyLGBTQ+ parenting
Type
Chapter
Information
LGBTQ+ Affirmative Counseling
A Student and Practitioner Handbook
 , pp. 152 - 174
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Boe, J. L., Maxey, V. A., & Bermudez, J. M. (2018). Is the closet a closet? Decolonizing the coming out process with Latin@ adolescents and families. Journal of Feminist Family Therapy: An International Forum, 30(2), 90–108. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1080/08952833.2018.1427931CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32(7), 513–531. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1037/0003-066X.32.7.513CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clark, K. A., Dougherty, L. R., & Pachankis, J. E. (2022). A study of parents of sexual and gender minority children: Linking parental reactions with child mental health. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 9(3), 300–308. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1037/sgd0000456CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Côté, P.-B., & Blais, M. (2020). “The least loved, that’s what I was”: A qualitative analysis of the pathways to homelessness by LGBTQ+ youth. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 33(2), 137–156. https://doi.org/10.1080/10538720.2020.1850388CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Côté, P.-B., Frésard, L., & Blais, M. (2024). “I didn’t want to be noticed”: Discrimination and violence among LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness. Journal of LGBT Youth, 21, 180–199. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2023.2185337CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Day-Vines, N. L., Cluxton, K. F., Agorsor, C., Gubara, S., & Otabil, N. A. A. (2020). The multidimensional model of broaching behavior. Journal of Counseling & Development, 98(1), 107–118. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1002/jcad.12304CrossRefGoogle Scholar
de Brito Silva, B., Soares de Almeida-Segundo, D., de Miranda Ramos, M., Bredemeier, J., & Cerqueira-Santos, E. (2022). Couple and family therapies and interventions with lesbian, gay and bisexual individuals: A systematic review. Journal of Couple & Relationship Therapy, 21(1), 52–79. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1080/15332691.2021.1978360CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dermitas, E., Kemer, G., Pope, A. L., & Moe, J. (2018). Self-compassion matters: The relationship between perceived social support, self-compassion, and subjective well-being among LGB individuals in Turkey. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 65, 372–382. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000261Google Scholar
Ford, D. J. (2022). The salve and the sting of religion/spirituality in queer and transgender BIPOC. In Nadal, K. & Sharron-del Río, M. (eds.), Queer psychology: Intersectional perspectives (pp. 275–290). Cham: Springer.Google Scholar
Hafford, L. T., Cocker, C., Rutter, D., Tinarwo, M., McCormack, K., & Manning, R. (2019). What do we know about transgender parenting? Findings from a systematic review. Health & Social Care in the Community, 27(5), 1111–1125. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1111/hsc.12759Google Scholar
Jackson-Levin, N., Kattari, S. K., Piellusch, E. K., & Watson, E. (2020). “We just take care of each other”: Navigating “chosen family” in the context of health, illness, and the mutual provision of care amongst queer and transgender young adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(19), 7346. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17197346CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnson, S. M. (2019). Attachment theory in practice: Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) with individuals, couples, and families. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Kim, S., & Feyissa, I. F. (2021). Conceptualizing “family” and the role of “chosen family” within the LGBTQ+ refugee community: A text network graph analysis. Healthcare, 9(4), 369. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9040369CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leal, D., Gato, J., Coimbra, S., Freitas, D., & Tasker, F. (2021). Social support in the transition to parenthood among lesbian, gay, and bisexual persons: A systematic review. Sexuality Research & Social Policy: A Journal of the NSRC, 18(4), 1165–1179. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1007/s13178-020-00517-yCrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levitt, H. M. (2019). A psychosocial genealogy of LGBTQ+ gender: An empirically based theory of gender and gender identity cultures. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 43(3), 275–297. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1177/0361684319834641CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levy, D. L., & Lo, J. R. (2013). Transgender, transsexual, and gender queer individuals with a Christian upbringing: The process of resolving conflict between gender identity and faith. Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought, 32(1), 60–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/15426432.2013.749079CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pachankis, J. E., Soulliard, Z. A., Morris, F., & Seager van Dyk, I. (2023). A model for adapting evidence-based interventions to be LGBQ-affirmative: Putting minority stress principles and case conceptualization into clinical research and practice. Cognitive & Behavioral Practice, 30, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cbpra.2021.11.005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rhodes-Phillips, S. (2022). Deconstructing the genogram: A tentative proposal. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 43(3), 333–345.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Robinson, B. A. (2018). Child welfare systems and LGBTQ+ youth homelessness: Gender segregation, instability, and intersectionality. Child Welfare, 96(2), 29–46. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48624543Google Scholar
Robinson, B. A. (2021). “They peed on my shoes”: Foregrounding intersectional minority stress in understanding LGBTQ+ youth homelessness. Journal of LGBT Youth, 20(4), 783–799. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2021.1925196CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Shelton, J., Poirier, J. M., Wheeler, C., & Abramovich, A. (2018). Reversing erasure of youth and young adults who are LGBTQ+ and access homelessness services: Asking about sexual orientation, gender identity, and pronouns. Child Welfare, 96(2), 1–28. https://www.jstor.org/stable/48624542Google Scholar
Son, D., & Updegraff, K. A. (2023). Sexual minority adolescents’ disclosure of sexual identity to family: A systematic review and conceptual framework. Adolescent Research Review, 8(1), 75–95. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.odu.edu/10.1007/s40894-021-00177-yCrossRefGoogle Scholar
The Trevor Project. (2022a). 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health. www.thetrevorproject.org/survey2022/assets/static/trevor01_2022survey_final.pdfGoogle Scholar
The Trevor Project. (2022b). Homelessness and housing instability among LGBTQ+ youth. www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/homelessness-and-housing-instability-among-LGBTQ+-youth-feb-2022/Google Scholar
Wegscheider-Cruse, S. (1989). Another chance: Hope and health for the alcoholic family. Palo Alto, CA: Science and Behavior Books.Google Scholar
Zhu, P., Lau, J., & Navalta, C. (2020). An ecological approach to understanding pervasive and hidden shame in complex trauma. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 42(2), 155–169. https://doi.org/10.17744/mehc.42.2.05CrossRefGoogle Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×