Suicide Prevention for Lesbian Youth

The purpose of this paper is to examine the current literature on suicide prevention efforts designed for lesbian youth in foster care situations. The report provides context

by examining the literature on the general problems faced by lesbian youth and the contribution of these problems to the development of suicidal feelings in general and to suicidal feelings in the foster care situation in particular. The report ends with a discussion of steps that can be taken to remediate the pressures leading to suicidal behavior for lesbian youth in foster care.

Prevalence Rates and Causative Factors

To what degree are lesbians at risk for suicide and other physically destructive behaviors. Bradford, Ryan and Rothblum (1994) present demographic, lifestyle, and mental health information about 1,925 lesbians drawn from all 50 states who participated as respondents in the National lesbian Health Care Survey (19841985), which has been the most comprehensive study on American lesbians to date. The authors reported that over half the sample had thoughts about suicide at some time, and 18 percent had attempted suicide.

With respect to causative factors involved in suicide, survey data revealed that 37 percent of the sample had been physically abused as a child or adult, 32 percent had been raped or sexually attacked, and 19 percent had been involved in incestuous relationships while growing up

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or emotionally abused, or (3) experienced family rejection, reported that sexual orientation was the main reason for these problems. Foster Care and Lesbian Youth There have been relatively few studies examining foster care situations and lesbian or gay youth. However, before examining the little research that does exist on suicide and lesbian youth in foster care, it is important to realize that, in general, many young people coming into state care have life histories similar to those of individuals who have attempted or committed suicide. Indeed, according to Charles and Matheson (1991), poor problem-solving and social skills, anger, and a sense of psychological isolation are common to both groups, as well as is family turmoil. In other words, by the time most children, gay/lesbian or heterosexual, enter foster care, they are already at a high risk of suicide. Therefore, if general problems resulting in foster care are associated with increased risk for suicide, it can be seen that the additional problem of coping with sexual orientation differences can be an added pressure intensifying the risk of suicide for lesbian youth. McKinney (1987) also examined depression and suicide in foster care populations; however, her
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Some common words found in the essay are:
D'Augelli Hershberger's, Charles Matheson, Christensen Sorenson's, Ryan Rothblum, Situation Foster, Environment Scale, Health Questionnaire, D'Augelli Hershberger, Care Survey, CARE Introduction, foster care, gay lesbian, lesbian gay, lesbian youth, sexual orientation, mental health, bisexual youths, verbal physical, attempted suicide, foster parents, youth foster care, lesbian youth foster, verbal physical abuse, gay lesbian youth, lesbian gay youth,
Approximate Word count = 2640
Approximate Pages = 11 (250 words per page)

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