Citation

Seil KS, Desai MM, Smith MV. Am. J. Public Health 2014; 104(10): 1950-1956.

Affiliation

Kacie S. Seil and Mayur M. Desai are with Yale School of Public Health, Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, New Haven, CT. Megan V. Smith is with Yale School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, American Public Health Association)

DOI

10.2105/AJPH.2014.302050

PMID

25121812

Abstract

OBJECTIVEs. We examined associations between identifying as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) and lacking a connection with an adult at school on adolescent substance use and mental health outcomes including suicidality.

METHODS. We analyzed data from the 2009 New York City Youth Risk Behavior Survey (n = 8910). Outcomes of interest included alcohol use, marijuana use, illicit drug use, depressive symptomatology, suicide ideation, and suicide attempt.

RESULTS. The prevalence of each outcome was significantly higher among LGB adolescents than heterosexual adolescents and among those who lacked an adult connection at school than among those who did have such a connection. Even when LGB adolescents had an adult connection at school, their odds of most outcomes were significantly higher than for heterosexual adolescents. Those LGB adolescents who lacked a school adult connection had the poorest outcomes (about 45% reported suicide ideation; 31% suicide attempt).

CONCLUSIONS. Adolescents who are LGB, particularly those who lack a connection with school adults, are at high risk for substance use and poorer mental health outcomes. Interventions should focus on boosting social support and improving outcomes for this vulnerable group. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print August 14, 2014: e1-e7. 10.2105/AJPH.2014.302050).

Language: en