Introduction
Youth struggles have recently become a significant topic to consider due to the societal transformations in the last decades. One of the most vulnerable groups is the LGBTQ youth. Young LGBTQ people have unique struggles that are important to address, as they are at risk when it comes to mental health issues and other issues. Some of the most critical issues that need to be paid attention to and that affect LGBTQ youngsters the most are relationships with friends and family and mental health struggles.
Friendship Challenges
Friendship is harder to pursue and maintain for young members of the LGBTQ community than for youngsters outside of the community. Getting accepted by friends is a significant milestone for teenagers and young people in general, and this acceptance is more difficult to achieve for LGBTQ youth. In recent years, the level of LGBT acceptance has risen, so it is becoming easier to be accepted by peers; however, being understood is another issue. If one’s friends do not belong to the LGBTQ community, it will be harder for them to relate to their friend’s struggles.
It is crucial to foment friendships with people who not only accept you but understand you so as to feel connected with others, and it is more difficult for LGBT youngsters. Besides struggling to connect with others, another struggle is to find an appropriate circle of other like-minded members of the LGBTQ community. In some cases, such communities are absent on a local level, or there is no proper organization, and LGBT youngsters are dispersed and do not form any group together. A bond with like-minded people helps the youth to overcome a lot of issues that they share, but finding this type of community and integrating into it can become complicated.
Family Relationships and Rejection
In addition to struggling with forming friendships, family relationships are also among the struggles that young LGBTQ people experience. The worst-case scenario, which is still present in a lot of families, is a complete rejection of a child’s sexuality or gender identity. In this case, a child is at serious risk of losing the sense of connection to the family (Miller, Watson & Eisemberg, 2020).
In an ideal situation, a family should be a safe space for a child’s self-expression and expression of feelings. However, when the opposite takes place, and the family and household turn into the contrary to a safe space, a teenager is prone to experiencing trauma and self-hate. A better case scenario is that parents do accept their child’s identity but are reluctant to do so. The lack of total acceptance may result in strained relationships and passive aggressiveness from relatives, which can have an effect as negative as total rejection.
Relatives might not express their hostility directly, but their indirect remarks can lead children to believe that they are not loved and accepted for who they are (Baams, Wilson & Russel, 2019). Thus, in such situations, it is hard for LGBTQ youngsters to open up and form genuine, warm connections with their family members.
Mental Health Vulnerabilities
Children, teenagers, and young people, in general, are all at higher risk of suffering from mental health issues. Youngsters who belong to the LGBTQ community, however, struggle with mental disorders even more often. Some factors make gay, lesbian, and transgender youngsters more susceptible to mental illnesses. These aspects include the risk of being discriminated against, which is still present in today’s society despite continuous progress.
Society is still not fully accepting of all sexualities and gender identities, and identity rejection is quite common. This leads youngsters to feel like they are not full members of society, which increases the danger of depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders, as well as higher suicidal tendencies (Rhoades et al., 2018). Friends and family relationship issues are just as likely to affect a young person’s mental health.
Support, Recognition, and Awareness
It is important to take measures that reduce the risk of mental health issues in LGBT youth. Full recognition of the LGBTQ community and their struggles, including full legal recognition, is necessary in order to ensure youngsters’ access to professional help. Organizing more ways to support struggling youth is also important, as the best way to combat mental illnesses is through providing appropriate assistance (Schmitz, 2021).
Raising awareness is still crucial, as many people, outside and inside the community, are still not fully aware of the scope of the struggles and what help people have access to. It can be done through educational programs and social advertisement campaigns so that both LGBT youngsters and other members of society understand what can be done.
Conclusion
Queer youth struggles are unique and are more complicated than the struggles of youngsters outside of the community. Friends and family relationships can be challenging to maintain and foster due to the lack of acceptance and understanding. At the same time, both these issues and other problems can cause mental health issues. To help young LGBTQ representatives, more awareness in terms of accessible help needs to be raised, and campaigns on specific LGBT struggles need to be carried out.
References
Baams, L., Wilson, B. D. M. & Russel, S. T. (2019). LGBTQ youth in unstable housing and foster care. Pediatrics, 143(3). Web.
Miller, K. K., Watson, R. J. & Eisenberg, M. E. (2020). The intersection of family acceptance and religion on the Mental Health of LGBTQ youth. Annals of LGBTQ Public and Population Health, 1(1). Web.
Rhoades, H., Rusow, J. A., Bond, D., Lanteigne, A., Fulginiti, A. & Goldbach, J. T. (2018). Homelessness, mental health and suicidality among LGBTQ youth accessing crisis services. Child Psychiatry & Human Development 49, 643-651. Web.
Schmitz, R. M. (2021). Beyond resilience: Resistance in the lives of the LGBTQ youth. Sociology Compass, 15(12). Web.