The Role of Family Support in Moderating Mental Health Outcomes for LGBTQ+ Youth in Primary Care

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or questioning (LGBTQ+) youth face worse mental health outcomes than non-LGBTQ+ peers. Family support may mitigate this, but sparse evidence demonstrates this in clinical settings.

To compare depression and suicide risk between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ youth in primary care settings and to investigate whether family support mitigates these negative mental health outcomes.

This cross-sectional study uses data from well care visits completed by adolescents aged 13 to 19 years from February 2022 through May 2023, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Modified for Teens (PHQ-9-M) and the Adolescent Health Questionnaire (AHQ; an electronic screener assessing identity, behaviors, and guardian support), at 32 urban or suburban care clinics in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

The primary exposure was self-reported LGBTQ+ status. Family support moderators included parental discussion of adolescent strengths and listening to feelings. Race and ethnicity (determined via parent or guardian report at visit check-in), sex, payer, language, age, and geography were covariates.

PHQ-9-M-derived mental health outcomes, including total score, recent suicidal ideation, and past suicide attempt.

The sample included 60 626 adolescents; among them, 9936 (16.4%) were LGBTQ+, 15 387 (25.5%) were Black, and 30 296 (50.0%) were assigned female sex at birth. LGBTQ+ youth, compared with non-LGBTQ+ youth, had significantly higher median (IQR) PHQ-9-M scores (5 [2-9] vs 1 [0-3]; P < .001) and prevalence of suicidal ideation (1568 [15.8%] vs 1723 [3.4%]; P < .001). Fewer LGBTQ+ youth endorsed parental support than non-LGBTQ+ youth (discussion of strengths, 8535 [85.9%] vs 47 003 [92.7%]; P < .001; and listening to feelings, 7930 [79.8%] vs 47 177 [93.1%]; P < .001). In linear regression adjusted for demographic characteristics and parental discussion of strengths, LGBTQ+ status was associated with a higher PHQ-9-M score (mean difference, 3.3 points; 95% CI, 3.2-3.3 points). In logistic regression, LGBTQ+ youth had increased adjusted odds of suicidal ideation (adjusted odds ratio, 4.3; 95% CI, 4.0-4.7) and prior suicide attempt (adjusted odds ratio, 4.4; 95% CI, 4.0-4.7). Parental support significantly moderated the association of LGBTQ+ status with PHQ-9-M score and suicidal ideation, with greater protection against these outcomes for LGBTQ+ vs non-LGBTQ+ youth.

Compared with non-LGBTQ+ youth, LGBTQ+ youth at primary care visits had more depressive symptoms and higher odds of suicidal ideation and prior suicide attempt. Youth-reported parental support was protective against these outcomes, suggesting potential benefits of family support-focused interventions to mitigate mental health inequities for LGBTQ+ youth.