“I'm Kinda Stuck at Home With Unsupportive Parents Right Now”: LGBTQ Youths' Experiences With COVID-19 and the Importance of Online Support

LGBTQ youth are a population who experience unique stressors. This study investigated their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic via Q Chat Space—a national online chat-based support program. Transcript data from 31 synchronous, text-based chats collected during the onset of state-based “social di...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of adolescent health Vol. 67; no. 3; pp. 450 - 452
Main Authors: Fish, Jessica N., McInroy, Lauren B., Paceley, Megan S., Williams, Natasha D., Henderson, Sara, Levine, Deborah S., Edsall, Rachel N.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.09.2020
Elsevier BV
Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescents
Chat
Coronavirus
Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology
Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control
Coronavirus Infections - psychology
COVID-19
Cybercounseling
Female
Gays & lesbians
Humans
Identity formation
Instant messaging
Internet
LGBTQ
LGBTQ people
LGBTQ youth
Male
Mental health
Online programs
Pandemics
Pandemics - prevention & control
Parent-Child Relations
Parental rights
Parents - psychology
Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology
Pneumonia, Viral - prevention & control
Pneumonia, Viral - psychology
Sexual and Gender Minorities - psychology
Sexual and Gender Minorities - statistics & numerical data
Sexual and gender minority
Social Isolation - psychology
Social networks
Social Support
Socialization
Stress
Stress, Psychological - etiology
Stress, Psychological - psychology
Support services
Teenagers
Young Adult
Youth
COVID-19
Sexual and gender minority
Coronavirus
LGBTQ
Cybercounseling
Online programs
LGBTQ youth
Adolescents
ISSN:1054-139X, 1879-1972, 1879-1972
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:LGBTQ youth are a population who experience unique stressors. This study investigated their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic via Q Chat Space—a national online chat-based support program. Transcript data from 31 synchronous, text-based chats collected during the onset of state-based “social distancing” ordinances in Spring 2020 were analyzed. While encountering COVID-19–related stressors likely to be experienced by youth generally, participants' experiences were concomitantly imbued with LGBTQ-specific intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural challenges. Difficulties included maintaining mental health, being isolated with unsupportive families, and loss of in-person identity-based socialization and support. Findings highlight the importance of synchronous, text-based online platforms to enable LGBTQ youth to feel safe to seek support while at home. Given the potential for long-term physical distancing, concerted efforts are required to provide necessary resources and support for LGBTQ youth during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 14
content type line 23
ISSN:1054-139X
1879-1972
1879-1972
DOI:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.06.002