The Delaware Journal of Public Health: LGBT Health Equity
/This issue of the Delaware Journal of Public Health is devoted to LGBT Health Equity and features several articles relevant to trans and gender nonbinary youth and adults. Several are listed below, and others in the journal are interesting as well.
Most notable are:
Keeping Youth Alive: Considerations for Suicide Prevention of Gender Diverse Youth. Author: Elise Mora, LCSW.
“Objective. This article examines suicidality of gender expansive youth and identifies evidence=based practical interventions for healthcare professionals and other adults who interact with gender expansive youth…
“Results. Gender expansive youth are at significantly heightened risk of suicide compared to their cisgender peers. Nonbinary youth are the most vulnerable of all subgroups.
“Conclusion: Explicit recommendations for enhancing resilience for this population complete the article. More research is critical for this demographic, as current literature is severely limited.”
A Mother’s Story. Author: Sally McBride.
“Sally and David McBride’s youngest child came out as transgender on Christmas Day 2011 as a junior at American University. The news rocked their world. Here is their story as told by Sally.”
Building Resilience, Reducing Risk: Four Pillars to Creating Safer, More Supportive Schools for LGBT Youth. Author: Rev Karla Fleshman, LCSW, M.Div.
“Abstract. In 2017 Delaware, LGBTQ+ Youth reported that almost 1 out of 3 were bullied on school grounds. Additionally, over 50% reported feeling sad/hopeless, and almost as many seriously considered suicide as an option, while 32% planned for suicide with almost 1 in 4 reported having acted on their suicide plan at least once. Of all the students who reported a suicide attempt, 10% required medical treatment as a result of their attempt. The Delaware Department of Education does not have comprehensive statewide protections in place to support some of our most vulnerable youth, yet school districts can make a positive difference in implementing policy/practices to build resilience and reduce risk.
“This article will focus on four key areas where schools and school districts may implement changes toward creating safer, more supportive schools: (1) policy/procedures that protect LGBTQ+ students at the administrative level; (2) comprehensive cultural sensitivity training for serving LGBTQ+ students and their families; (3) incorporating inclusive curriculum on LGBTQ+ history into the classroom; (4) and creating, supporting, and sustaining gender and sexuality alliances in both the middle and high schools.”