Suicide and Self-Harm Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth: Resilience, Coping, and Despair

LGBT youth are at increased risk of psychopathology, self-harm, and suicide. Factors underlying this include stigma, rejection, victimization, and isolation. Outcomes vary widely, with many youth emerging as resilient and highly capable, whereas others are deeply wounded by environmental forces. In these cases, youth and families rely upon clinicians to provide a space for normalizing their experience and helping families on their path to accepting and even embracing their LGBT child. This chapter reviews key features of sexual and gender identity development, with case material highlighting different developmental pathways and outcomes.