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MONDAY, Sept. 24, 2018 (HealthDay News) – American teens whose behavior, appearance, or lifestyle do not conform to the widely held view of what it means to be a "normal" man or woman Are at high risk of mental distress and drug abuse, new research warns.
The results were drawn from a national survey exploring the psychological risk profiles of adolescents who described themselves as "gender nonconformities".
The survey recruited more than 6,000 students enrolled in high schools from three major urban school districts in California and Florida.
"Gender non-compliance is a gender expression that differs from society's expectations with regard to the appearance and behavior of women or men," says Michelle Johns, author of the study. As such, it is "an area of adolescent health that is often linked to negative health outcomes".
In fact, previous research has suggested that non-conformist people often struggle with "social stress" because of stigma, discrimination, harassment and violence, noted Johns, a teen health scientist. and American schools. and prevention.
But this latest study, she said, "is among the first to look at mental distress and substance use among young nonconformists."
In the end, the team found that high school males and boys were at higher risk of feeling sad, feeling hopeless and receiving suicidal ideation and / or suicidal behavior. The risk of addiction has also increased, investigators have observed.
About 55% of respondents were Hispanic, while 16% were white and 19% black.
Students were asked to indicate how their peers would characterize their gender, based on "their appearance, style, dress, or how they walk or talk."
On this basis, about 1 in 5 people said they were either "moderately" or "strongly" non-sexist. Boys were more likely to report that they did not respect gender than girls, as well as younger and LGBTQ people.
Among the moderately nonconformist girls, half said they felt sad and hopeless, a figure that dropped to 45% among their extremely nonconforming peers. This, according to the investigators, could reflect the particular difficulties of the way forward in tackling gender identity.
Sadness and despair were found in about a third of the moderate and highly non-compliant boys.
About one-third of moderate and highly nonconformist girls said they were seriously considering suicide; these numbers dropped to 14 and 22% among boys.
On the other hand, cocaine, marijuana, alcohol and prescription drugs consumption was around 20% among highly nonconforming boys, but varied widely between very nonconforming girls (7.5% to 39%). ).
That said, Johns acknowledged that his team "can not determine if these numbers mirror those of high school students in the United States," since the survey included a larger than average sample of minorities and city-dwellers.
"However, these results suggest that the development of support systems in schools and other school-based interventions, such as safe spaces and support / competent staff for non-conformist students, could be an important means of support for students. improve mental health and reduce drug use. "she says.
With this in mind, Johns highlighted a number of potential resources already in existence, including: "Gender Spectrum" (www.genderspectrum.org); the "family acceptance project" (www.familyproject.sfsu.edu); and Los Angeles LGBT Center's "Safe Homemaker Training, Safe Homes" (www.lalgbtcenter.org/rise/lgbtq-training-coaching/lgbtq-training-for-families).
The results were published on September 24 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.
Dr. Ellen Selkie, a lecturer in adolescent medicine at the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Michigan, has made additional suggestions, including the "Human Rights Campaign" (www. .hrc.org / explore / topic / transgender-children-youth). and "The Trevor Project" (www.thetrevorproject.org).
And in an accompanying editorial, Selkie observed that the study adds a glimpse of an under-studied problem.
Much of the observed distress, said Selkie, appears to stem from a "lack of acceptance on the part of the family community," with the nonconforming youth facing a struggle of acceptance as complex and nuanced as gender non-conformity.
For example, she noted that gender identity is distinct from sexuality, but "I've had non-conformist patients from rural conservative areas who have been very supportive at school and at school. the house and I also have patients from liberal urban areas who feel very little cared for and suffer bullying at school. "
According to Selkie, much more research is needed to better understand the barriers faced by young non-conformists.
More information
There is more information on gender identity and adolescents at Gender Spectrum.
SOURCES: Michelle Johns, Ph.D., MPH, Health Scientist, Division of Adolescent Health and Schools, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta; Ellen Selkie, M.D., M.P.H., Clinical Lecturer, Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; September 24, 2018, JAMA Pediatrics
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