Understanding suicide among sexual minority youth in America: An ecological systems analysis

Hong, J. S., Espelage, D. L., & Kral, M. J. (2011). Understanding suicide among sexual minority youth in America: An ecological systems analysis. Journal of Adolescence 34 (2011) 885–894.

Hong, Espelage, and Kral use an ecological approach in order to begin understanding the high suicide risk in the LGBTQ adolescent community, in order to assess for intervention and prevention methods, in this study. According to Hong, Espelage, and Kral sexual minority youth are more likely to commit suicide compared to heterosexual youth, this can be due to lack of support systems (micro-systems), lack of teach support (meso-systems), lack of social support for parents (exo-systems), societal beliefs (macro-systems), and possible abuse during childhood (chrono-systems).

The article also emphasized the multifaceted treatment for the mental health of an individual. For example, individual counseling can only be as effective as the family functioning that is effecting the adolescent, therefore family therapy would be a space for LGBTQ education on mental health and suicide ideation. Other programs that were referenced by the authors were school interventions in order to decrease school bullying. The authors also mentioned community organizing in order to change policy to have a better understanding of what schools can do to prevent and act to hateful and discriminatory behavior inside the school setting and community.

The authors did an excellent job at explaining the many environments that impact the LGBTQ adolescent community every day. What I enjoyed the most about the article is the explanation that each of these context can reduce the sense of belonging LGBTQ adolescents can feel, which increases the risk of suicide and suicide ideation. Most humans require a sense of belonging, with one another, family, society, etc. By being accepted and following traditional social "norms", it is so much easier for human beings to be accepted and feel a sense of belonging. With sexual minority youth, it can become difficult to feel a sense of belonging if their perception and reality of their environment is negative and unsupportive. Thus, if an adolescent is not accepted by the family, the community, or society there can be an increase in suicidality.

As Hong, Espelage, and Kral used an ecological approach, I definitely appreciated their understanding of intersectionality within individuals. Thus, the study also noted that even within the LGBTQ community there are other communities that have completely different perspectives and experiences that may increase their risk for suicide.

As mental health practitioners, we must understand when treating an adolescent in the LGBTQ community, it is imperative to learn about their support system. Whether it be biological family, the LGBTQ community, ally-friends, or maybe no one at the time, it is crucial to begin the therapeutic process with true empathy and strength based counseling. Also, the mental health of sexual minority adolescents can begin to be relieved through change in the larger system, i.e. social policy and community involvement. As mental health practitioners, we should advocate for the client's mental health. If that means incorporating the family in order to alleviate and understand the stress within their family, that should be done. If advocating means, learning about LGBTQ support groups, that should be done. Social Work mental health practitioners should be informed with what is going on in the community in order to properly refer the client to groups, communities, groups for organizing in order empower the client. Thus, in order for a client to begin a sense of belonging, we must learn what that means to the individual and their circumstances within their larger community.