From The Atlantic: Although acceptance of LGBT individuals is growing, LGBT teens still on average experience lower life satisfaction and more depression than their straight peers, in part due to harassment and bullying. A recent study found that being connected with LGBT-friendly organizations can help increase LGBT teens’ self-esteem and decrease depression.
“His findings are in line with psychological research on ‘minority stress,’ which suggests that people who feel left out of a group are better off if they join forces with others like them than if they try to cope on their own. LGBT teens’ ‘support needs are distinctly different from seeking general support from family members and peers,’ the authors write, ‘most of whom are heterosexual and do not have consistent and regular experiences with homophobia or heterosexism.'”
