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Mental health of children with gender and sexual minority parents: a review and future directions

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  • Deni Mazrekaj

    (Utrecht University
    University of Oxford
    KU Leuven)

  • Yuxuan Jin

    (Utrecht University
    Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute (NIDI) - KNAW/University of Groningen)

Abstract

This article reviews the literature between 2015 and 2022 on mental health disparities between children with gender and sexual minority parents and children with different-sex parents. Although most studies indicate that children with gender and sexual minority parents do not experience more mental health problems than children with different-sex parents, the results are mixed and depend on the underlying sample. The review highlights important shortcomings that characterize this literature, including cross-sectional survey samples, correlational methods, lack of diversity by country, and a lack of research on children with transgender and bisexual parents. Therefore, substantial caution is warranted when attempting to arrive at an overall conclusion based on the current state of the literature. Suggestions are provided that can guide academic work when studying mental health outcomes of children with gender and sexual minority parents in the future.

Suggested Citation

  • Deni Mazrekaj & Yuxuan Jin, 2023. "Mental health of children with gender and sexual minority parents: a review and future directions," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-6, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palcom:v:10:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1057_s41599-023-02019-9
    DOI: 10.1057/s41599-023-02019-9
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wendy Manning & Marshal Fettro & Esther Lamidi, 2014. "Child Well-Being in Same-Sex Parent Families: Review of Research Prepared for American Sociological Association Amicus Brief," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 33(4), pages 485-502, August.
    2. Corinne Reczek & Russell Spiker & Hui Liu & Robert Crosnoe, 2016. "Family Structure and Child Health: Does the Sex Composition of Parents Matter?," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 53(5), pages 1605-1630, October.
    3. Bockting, W.O. & Miner, M.H. & Swinburne Romine, R.E. & Hamilton, A. & Coleman, E., 2013. "Stigma, mental health, and resilience in an online sample of the US transgender population," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 103(5), pages 943-951.
    4. Deni Mazrekaj, 2022. "Inclusion of LGBT+ researchers is key," Nature, Nature, vol. 605(7908), pages 30-30, May.
    5. Deni Mazrekaj & Mirjam M. Fischer & Henny M. W. Bos, 2022. "Behavioral Outcomes of Children with Same-Sex Parents in The Netherlands," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-12, May.
    6. Corinne Reczek & Russell Spiker & Hui Liu & Robert Crosnoe, 2017. "The Promise and Perils of Population Research on Same-Sex Families," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 54(6), pages 2385-2397, December.
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