source-library/trans/family_support.md

Family Support

Family support decreases suicide attempts and drug usage

• Klein and Golub 16
  • Family rejection linked to suicide, drug use, and overall detriments to health
  • To cope with transgender-related discrimination:
  • 42.3% of the sample reported a suicide attempt
  • 26.3% reported misusing drugs or alcohol
  • “After controlling for age, race/ethnicity, sex assigned at birth, binary gender identity, income, education, and employment status, family rejection was associated with increased odds of both behaviors. Odds increased significantly with increasing levels of family rejection.”
• Cornell University
  • A META-ANALYSIS of 42 peer-reviewed studies that analyzed the links between family support and the health and well-being of LGBT youth
    • 25 studies found that accepting behavior by parents toward their children’s sexual orientation or gender identity is linked to the health and well-being of LGBT youth.
    • The other 17 studies found that family support in general (i.e. not necessarily in response to children’s sexual orientation or gender identity) is linked to the health and well-being of LGBT youth.
• Trans PULSE (subsidiary of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research)
  • From Ontario (not international scope) but academically credible and VERY widely cited
  • Analysis of the ways in which parental support affects elements of disadvantage experienced by transgender youth.
  • Strong parental support decreases the likelihood of a suicide attempt within the past year from 57% to just 4%.