IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/socmed/v72y2011i10p1611-1617.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sexual minority youth, social connection and resilience: From personal struggle to collective identity

Author

Listed:
  • DiFulvio, Gloria T.

Abstract

Sexual minority youth are at increased risk for negative health outcomes including substance abuse, depression, anxiety, and suicide. Researchers suggest that sexual orientation victimization is a predictor of such outcomes. Social connectedness--or the importance of belonging where youth perceive they are cared for and empowered within a given context--has been associated with positive youth outcomes. This qualitative study utilized life story methodology. Life stories are considered to be important expressions of one's identity and are shaped by personal, social, and cultural contexts. Twenty-two interviews were conducted with 15 young people ranging in age from 14 to 22 years. Two focus groups with youth were also conducted. Youth were recruited from rural and urban communities in Massachusetts. This study contributes to the literature on resilience by including the voices of sexual minority youth and explores the meaning of social connection in their lives. Youth discuss the ways in which individual connection and group affiliation served to affirm one's identity, and provided a forum for moving personal struggle to collective action. The findings suggest the need to reconceptualize consequences of disconnection (such as depression or suicide) from individual pathology and attend to these consequences as a response to discrimination and stigma. Implications for these findings and areas for future research are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • DiFulvio, Gloria T., 2011. "Sexual minority youth, social connection and resilience: From personal struggle to collective identity," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 72(10), pages 1611-1617, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:72:y:2011:i:10:p:1611-1617
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S027795361100164X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wexler, Lisa Marin, 2006. "Inupiat youth suicide and culture loss: Changing community conversations for prevention," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 63(11), pages 2938-2948, December.
    2. Wexler, Lisa Marin & DiFluvio, Gloria & Burke, Tracey K., 2009. "Resilience and marginalized youth: Making a case for personal and collective meaning-making as part of resilience research in public health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 565-570, August.
    3. Paul, J.P. & Catania, J. & Pollack, L. & Moskowitz, J. & Canchola, J. & Mills, T. & Binson, D. & Stall, R., 2002. "Suicide attempts among gay and bisexual men: Lifetime prevalence and antecedents," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 92(8), pages 1338-1345.
    4. Huebner, D.M. & Rebchook, G.M. & Kegeles, S.M., 2004. "Experiences of harassment, discrimination, and physical violence among young gay and bisexual men," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 94(7), pages 1200-1203.
    5. Bearman, P.S. & Moody, J., 2004. "Suicide and Friendships among American Adolescents," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 94(1), pages 89-95.
    6. Faulkner, A.H. & Cranston, K., 1998. "Correlates of same-sex sexual behavior in a random sample of Massachusetts high school students," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 88(2), pages 262-266.
    7. Russell, S.T. & Joyner, K., 2001. "Adolescent sexual orientation and suicide risk: Evidence from a national study," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 91(8), pages 1276-1281.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zeev Hille & Hannes Ulrich & Vera Maren Straßburger & Pichit Buspavanich, 2024. "Social networks of men who have sex with men engaging in chemsex in Germany: differences in social resources and sexual health," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. Francisco Perales, 2016. "The Costs of Being “Different”: Sexual Identity and Subjective Wellbeing over the Life Course," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 127(2), pages 827-849, June.
    3. Tina Fetner & Athena Elafros, 2015. "The GSA Difference: LGBTQ and Ally Experiences in High Schools with and without Gay-Straight Alliances," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 4(3), pages 1-19, August.
    4. Debra Torok & Jessica Ball, 2021. "Renegotiating Identity and Agency in Everyday Oppression: Experiences of Forced Migrant Youth in Malaysia," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 10(8), pages 1-18, August.
    5. González Álvarez, Rodrigo & Hofman, Sterre & ten Brummelaar, Mijntje & López López, Mónica, 2023. "Care professionals’ perspectives and roles on resilience among LGBTQIA+ youth in out-of-home care: A multidimensional perspective," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    6. Rice, Jessica L. & Tan, Tony Xing & Li, Yanzheng, 2021. "In their voices: Experiences of adolescents during involuntary psychiatric hospitalization," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    7. Chan, Randolph C.H. & Mak, Winnie W.S., 2021. "Resistance as a form of resilience in sexual and gender minorities: Differential moderating roles of collective action on the discrimination–depression relationship among sexual minority men and women," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 280(C).
    8. Noble-Carr, Debbie & Barker, Justin & McArthur, Morag & Woodman, Elise, 2014. "Improving practice: The importance of connections in establishing positive identity and meaning in the lives of vulnerable young people," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(P3), pages 389-396.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Wexler, Lisa Marin & DiFluvio, Gloria & Burke, Tracey K., 2009. "Resilience and marginalized youth: Making a case for personal and collective meaning-making as part of resilience research in public health," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 69(4), pages 565-570, August.
    2. Russell, Stephen T. & Toomey, Russell B., 2012. "Men’s sexual orientation and suicide: Evidence for U.S. adolescent-specific risk," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(4), pages 523-529.
    3. Roen, Katrina & Scourfield, Jonathan & McDermott, Elizabeth, 2008. "Making sense of suicide: A discourse analysis of young people's talk about suicidal subjecthood," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(12), pages 2089-2097, December.
    4. Hatzenbuehler, Mark L. & McLaughlin, Katie A. & Xuan, Ziming, 2012. "Social networks and risk for depressive symptoms in a national sample of sexual minority youth," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(7), pages 1184-1191.
    5. Mac an Ghaill, Mairtin & Haywood, Chris, 2012. "Understanding boys’: Thinking through boys, masculinity and suicide," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(4), pages 482-489.
    6. Shauna Stahlman & Ashley Grosso & Sosthenes Ketende & Vincent Pitche & Seni Kouanda & Nuha Ceesay & Henri G Ouedraogo & Odette Ky-Zerbo & Marcel Lougue & Daouda Diouf & Simplice Anato & Jules Tchalla , 2016. "Suicidal ideation among MSM in three West African countries: Associations with stigma and social capital," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 62(6), pages 522-531, September.
    7. Maya Amitai & Alan Apter, 2012. "Social Aspects of Suicidal Behavior and Prevention in Early Life: A Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(3), pages 1-10, March.
    8. Joan Versnel & Jennifer de Lugt & Nancy L. Hutchinson & Peter Chin, 2011. "Work-Based Education as a Pathway to Resilience," Journal of Education and Vocational Research, AMH International, vol. 2(5), pages 143-153.
    9. Goldberg, Amir & Srivastava, Sameer B & Manian, Govind & Monroe, William & Potts, Christopher, 2016. "Fitting In or Standing Out? The Tradeoffs of Structural and Cultural Embeddedness," Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, Working Paper Series qt9bf631rg, Institute of Industrial Relations, UC Berkeley.
    10. Carayol, Nicolas & Bergé, Laurent & Cassi, Lorenzo & Roux, Pascale, 2019. "Unintended triadic closure in social networks: The strategic formation of research collaborations between French inventors," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 218-238.
    11. Jacklin, Kristen, 2009. "Diversity within: Deconstructing Aboriginal community health in Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 68(5), pages 980-989, March.
    12. Rosa Duarte & Jos� Juli�n Escario & Jos� Alberto Molina, 2013. "Socio-demographic determinants of planning suicide and marijuana use among youths: are these patterns of behaviour causally related?," Documentos de Trabajo dt2013-03, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales, Universidad de Zaragoza.
    13. Panter-Brick, Catherine & Eggerman, Mark, 2018. "The field of medical anthropology in Social Science & Medicine," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 196(C), pages 233-239.
    14. Karen Benjamin Guzzo & Sarah R. Hayford & Vanessa Wanner Lang, 2019. "Adolescent Fertility Attitudes and Childbearing in Early Adulthood," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 38(1), pages 125-152, February.
    15. Eggerman, Mark & Panter-Brick, Catherine, 2010. "Suffering, hope, and entrapment: Resilience and cultural values in Afghanistan," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 71-83, July.
    16. Wong, Joy P.S. & Stewart, Sunita M. & Ho, S.Y. & Rao, Uma & Lam, T.H., 2005. "Exposure to suicide and suicidal behaviors among Hong Kong adolescents," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 61(3), pages 591-599, August.
    17. Noble-Carr, Debbie & Barker, Justin & McArthur, Morag & Woodman, Elise, 2014. "Improving practice: The importance of connections in establishing positive identity and meaning in the lives of vulnerable young people," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 47(P3), pages 389-396.
    18. Harel-Fisch, Yossi & Abdeen, Ziad & Walsh, Sophie D. & Radwan, Qasrowi & Fogel-Grinvald, Haya, 2012. "Multiple risk behaviors and suicidal ideation and behavior among Israeli and Palestinian adolescents," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(1), pages 98-108.
    19. Mobasseri, Sanaz & Stein, Daniel H. & Carney, Dana R., 2022. "The accurate judgment of social network characteristics in the lab and field using thin slices of the behavioral stream," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 168(C).
    20. Perkins, Jessica M. & Subramanian, S.V. & Christakis, Nicholas A., 2015. "Social networks and health: A systematic review of sociocentric network studies in low- and middle-income countries," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 60-78.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:72:y:2011:i:10:p:1611-1617. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/315/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.