Behavioral Medicine: A Guide for Clinical Practice, 5e >Adolescents

Mitchell D. Feldman, John F. Christensen, Jason M. Satterfield, Ryan Laponis+

Table 13-7.Recommendations for addressing needs of gay or lesbian youth.

1. Assess the patient’s level of comfort and self-acceptance.

2. Evaluate and discuss external stressors, such as parents, school, and the patient’s social and religious environment. Refer the patient (and parents, if necessary) to mental health experts if the stressors are
severe and interfere with daily activities.
3. Reassure the patient that from a medical perspective, homosexuality is a normal variant like left-handedness.
4. Refer patients to local gay youth groups for peer support; most cities and colleges provide resources for lesbian and gay youth, and telephone directories usually list local resources. Refer parents to local
parent support groups, especially the local chapter of Parents and Friends of Lesbian and Gay Youth (P-FLAG).

Date of download: 12/27/22 from AccessMedicine: accessmedicine.mhmedical.com, Copyright © McGraw Hill. All rights reserved.