Ar. Daugelli et Sl. Hershberger, LESBIAN, GAY, AND BISEXUAL YOUTH IN COMMUNITY SETTINGS - PERSONAL CHALLENGES AND MENTAL-HEALTH PROBLEMS, American journal of community psychology, 21(4), 1993, pp. 421-448
Studied 194 lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth aged 21 and younger who a
ttended programs in 14 community centers to determine the personal cha
llenges they face due to their sexual orientation and their responses
to these stresses. First awareness of sexual orientation typically occ
urred at age 10, but disclosure to another person did not occur until
about age 16. There was much variability in sexual behavior, and many
youths reported both same-sex and opposite-sex sexual experiences. Alt
hough most had told at least one family member about their sexual orie
ntation, there remained much concern about family reactions. Suicide a
ttempts were acknowledged by 42% of the sample. Attempters significant
ly differed from nonattempters on several milestones of sexual orienta
tion development, social aspects of sexual orientation, parents' knowl
edge of sexual orientation, and mental health problems.