gay studies powerpoint

1. Gay Male Youth
By Amanda Sunday & Danitsa Cochran

2. Eating Disorders
● 4 themes:
○ Appearance ideals relate to one’s sexual/gender identity development
○ Appearance and LGBT stereotypes are intertwined
○ Gender identity, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity contribute to pressure to appear certain ways
○ LGBT-specific community spaces can either affirm or constrain one’s appearance
● Adolescent and adult gay males more likely to suffer from clinical eating disorders compared
to heterosexual males.
● More likely to engage in exercising with intention to lose weight, restrictive eating, binging,
purging, use diet pills.
● Gay young adults and adolescent males report greater body dissatisfaction, greater desire for
toned physiques, increased concern for weight and shape over time, and trying to adhere to
what men look like in the media
(Parker & Harriger, 2020)

3. Sexual Risk
● At higher risk for contracting immunodeficiency virus infections,
sexually transmitted diseases, and related risk behaviors (Rasberry,
et. al., 2018).
● More likely to report having had sexual intercourse without using
condoms and reported having earlier sexual interactions (Rasberry,
et. al., 2018).
● Increased prevalence of forced sex, sexual and physical dating
violence (Johns, et.al., 2018).
● Account for 60 percent of HIV diagnoses among all youth
○ They are 2x as many diagnoses as young women (IOM,
2011)
○ Account for 8/10 HIV diagnoses among youth (CDC, 2021)
● At risk group of increasing number of HIV/AIDS diagnoses
○ The increase was 93% among young Black men; Black men
2x as likely to be diagnosed with HIV
○ Black and Latino Gay youth are more likely to become
infected at younger ages (IOM, 2011)

4. Common Diagnoses
● Greater risk for depression, suicide, substance use (CDC, 2021)
● Black gay youth more likely than white youth to be diagnosed with lifetime
MDE, alcohol abuse/dependence, nicotine dependence, suicidal ideation, and
anorexia (Burns, et. al., 2015).
● According to the Institute of Medicine (2011):
○ 2-3x more likely to experience generalized anxiety disorder, major depression, and conduct
disorder
○ Family rejection associated with increased report of Suicidal Ideation (SI), depression, and risk
behaviors.
○ Latino youth family acceptance and supportive reactions to LGBT identity may act as
protective factor against depression, SI and attempts.
■ Important to recognize disclosure of identity is multifaceted issue

5. Common Diagnoses Continued
● According to Burns, et. al. (2015):
○ 33.2% affected by Lifetime Major Depressive Episodes
○ 23.6% lifetime conduct disorder
○ 19.6%alcohol abuse/dependance
○ 16.0% posttraumatic stress disorder
○ 10.7% nicotine dependence
(Venn diagram indicates percentages of participants with lifetime diagnoses or combinations of the above listed
disorders)

6. Suicide risk
● Suicide risk higher compared to nonsexual minority students
(Johns, et. al., 2018)
● Kitts (2005) indicates:
○ Suicide attempts significantly correlated with psychosocial
stressors
○ A study indicated around 54% of those surveyed made a suicide
attempt before telling others their sexual orientation
■ 27% attempted during the year they came out
■ 19% attempted the year after they came out.
● Number of suicide attempts and sexual identity highly
correlated for gay male youth (Johns, et. al., 2018)
● Childhood parental psychological abuse and discouragement
of gender-atypical behavior associated with increased suicide
attempt risk (IOM, 2011).

7. Therapeutic Interventions
● Research by Van Der Pol-Harney and McAloon (2019) found several points
regarding interventions:
○ Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a main frame was successful in reduction of depressive
and anxiety symptoms in groups
○ Attachment-based family therapy (ABFT) and adolescent community reinforcement approach
(ACRA) orientations reduce the same symptoms within clinical and vulnerable community
members
○ AFFIRM study can help improve coping skills, self-esteem, and depressive symptoms
○ Creating safe and supportive spaces in the therapeutic process has shown to help improve
depression, sexual minority stress, alcohol and other drug use.
○ Improve self-esteem, in-group and family acceptance, and reduce risk behaviors = positive
outcomes

8. Therapeutic Interventions Continued
● More intervention suggestions by Craig, et. al. (2019):
○ A pilot study with an 8-session manualized group focused on reduction of sexual risk behaviors and
psychosocial distress titled AFFIRM
■ Focused CBT interventions tailored to sexual minority youth
■ Results showed significant increase in positive health behaviors by recognizing and altering less
healthy behaviors, increased coping skills, and positive mental and sexual health outcomes.
● Another point to address/understand with one’s client is the issue of sexuality the
difficulty revealing one’s sexuality and/or living with being gay [understanding
psychosocial stress] (Kitts, 2005).