Gay Teenagers and Depression

Throughout Seth Walsh’s life, his peers taunted, ridiculed, and teased him because of his mannerisms and style of dressing. Eventually, the insults became too much, and Seth dropped out of school to receive his education at home.

But still, the teasing continued – online, over the phone, and in person. In September of 2010, openly gay 13-year-old Seth Walsh of Tehachapi, Calif. hanged himself in his backyard.

In the end, it was anti-gay bullying that pushed this teenager to take his own life.

Unfortunately, Seth’s story is becoming more and more common among gay teenagers who spiral into depression because of the teasing and rejection of others.

Risk Factors for Depression in Gay Teenagers

Gay teenagers not only face the normal physical and emotional stresses of adolescence, but must also contend with developing their sexual identities in a potentially hostile environment.

While straight teenagers also work to develop sexual identities, their peers are generally more accepting of their choices. But gay teenagers often must deal with rejection and teasing because of their sexual orientations.

While society has generally grown more tolerant of homosexuality, gay teenagers still face frequent discrimination and bullying, according to “Victimization of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Youth in a Community Setting.”

The article, published in The Journal of Community Psychology, examined how frequently gay teenagers experienced rejection, victimization, and other stressors in their lives.

Researchers Anthony R. D’Augelli and Neil W. Pilkington sampled 194 gay teenagers and surveyed how often they were verbally insulted, physically assaulted, and how their homosexuality affected their family and peer relationships. Results from the study showed 80% of the teens experienced verbal insults because peers knew or thought the teens were gay, while a further 44% experienced physical assault. Additionally, 43% of males and 54% of females said they had lost at least one friend after disclosing their sexuality.

Even though these teens are victimized, they are often fearful to seek help or report bullying because it would reveal their sexual orientations. Their parents might not accept a homosexual lifestyle, and feel unsympathetic, and even might blame the teenager for the bullying. Consider a 14-year-old boy who is a freshman in high school. The boy experiences the same stresses about tests and homework as the other students, but he keeps his biggest source of his stress hidden from his peers, family members, and teachers.

From a young age, the teen knew he was attracted to other boys. Until high school though, he never experienced the kind of bullying he now faces. Now, walking the halls, he’s often called a “sissy,” “girly-boy,” and other more vulgar anti-gay slurs. Soon, the boy wonders if something is wrong with him. He wonders why the other boys in class won’t accept him, and if he’ll ever be “normal” in their eyes.

He literally has no one to turn to. He hasn’t told his parents or close friends his secret, and is afraid that they’ll reject him just as his other peers have. The worst part is that the harassment is getting worse, and he isn’t sure how to handle the situation anymore. Fearing stigmatization, the boy in the example felt forced to conceal his homosexuality from potential support groups like friends, counselors, and family members. But sometimes, by “coming out” to these groups, some gay teenagers find the help they need to combat negative experiences in high school.

Finding Support

Coming out is one of the most stressful periods in a gay teen’s life.

In a best-case scenario, the teen’s parents might have suspected their teen’s sexual orientation, and are happy and accepting of the declaration. But in the worst case, the teen’s parents might cut off financial support, reject the teen, and kick him or her out of the household.

In “Homophobic Teasing, Psychological Outcomes, and Sexual Orientation Among High School Students: What Influence Do Parents and Schools Have?” published in The School Psychology Review, anti-gay teasing was found to have negative mental health outcomes in gay teenagers who lack supportive school and home environments. Researchers Dorothy L. Esperage and others examined 13,921 high school teenagers, of whom 932 were “questioning” their sexuality, and an additional 1,065 identified themselves as homosexuals.

While all teenagers will experience negative outcomes when parents are unsupportive, for gay teenagers, this effect can be particularly strong, leading to greater instances of depression. The study stated that questioning and openly homosexual students were more likely to report depression, suicide attempts, and drug use when their parents rejected their sexuality.

But gay students who received support were less likely to report these negative outcomes, even if they experienced victimization in school environments. Family acceptance of homosexuality led to higher self-esteem, more support against victimization, and reduced depression among the participants. Since each family scenario differs on a case-by-case basis, the teen should decide if coming out to his or her parents would cause more harm than good. If so, the teen must identify individuals in the teen’s life who will be accepting and supportive of the teen’s decision to come out. For some teenagers, this might be an aunt, uncle, or sibling, while others find support in school counselors or close friends.

Issues with Lack of Support

Gay teenagers who feel they can’t find any support and who face constant bullying and teasing begin to experience mental health problems, often leading to depression – and in dire cases – suicide. According to “Negative Rejection as a Predictor of Negative Health Outcomes in White and Latino Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Young Adults,” published in Pediatrics, a family’s reaction to the disclosure of their teen’s sexuality has far-reaching effects.

Researchers Caitlin Ryan and others examined 224 LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) young adults and asked them questions about how their families reacted when they disclosed their homosexuality during adolescence. The study asked questions such as: “Between the ages of 13 and 19, how often did your parents blame you for any anti-gay mistreatment you experienced?”

From these questions, Ryan measured how rejection during the teen years leads to future mental suffering, finding that young adults rejected by their families were 8.4 times more likely to report a suicide attempt, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, and 3.4 times more likely to use drugs. Unfortunately, the threat of suicide is significant for gay teens, even among those who are accepted by their parents. For these teens, the bullying and taunting become too much to handle, and they feel they only have one choice left.

Help for Gay Teenagers

While gay teenagers still face discrimination on a near-daily basis, fortunately, society as a whole seems to be becoming more accommodating of members of the LGBT community. On June 24, 2011, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law the right for gay couples to marry.

While this is only a small step toward a more open and accepting environment for gay people, it signals a shift in society’s view of homosexuality. But still, students need help and counseling to deal with the bullying and teasing they face as gay teenagers.

If you’re interested in providing support and advice to gay teenagers, request information from schools offering degrees programs in psychology or mental health counseling.