title: Social Support, Depression, Self-Esteem, and Coping Among LGBTQ Adolescents Participating in Hatch Youth.
abstract: Evidence-based interventions that increase social support have the potential to improve the health of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth. Hatch Youth is a group-level intervention that provides services four nights a week to LGBTQ youth between 13 and 20 years of age. Each Hatch Youth meeting is organized into three 1-hour sections: unstructured social time, consciousness-raising (education), and a youth-led peer support group. Youth attending a Hatch Youth meeting between March and June 2014 (N = 108) completed a cross-sectional survey. Covariate adjusted regression models were used to examine the association between attendance, perceived social support, depressive symptomology, self-esteem, and coping ability. Compared to those who attended Hatch Youth for less than 1 month, participants who attended 1 to 6 months or more than 6 months reported higher social support (β1-6mo.= 0.57 [0.07, 1.07]; β6+mo.= 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI; 0.14, 0.75], respectively). Increased social support was associated with decreased depressive symptomology (β = -4.84, 95% CI [-6.56, -3.12]), increased self-esteem (β = 0.72, 95% CI [0.38, 1.06]), and improved coping ability (β = 1.00, 95% CI [0.66, 1.35]). Hatch Youth is a promising intervention that has the potential to improve the mental health and reduce risk behavior of LGBTQ youth.
authors.affiliation: 1 The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: J Michael
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wilkerson
authors.affiliation: 1 The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Vanessa R
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Schick
authors.affiliation: 2 Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Kim A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Romijnders
authors.affiliation: 1 The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bauldry
authors.affiliation: 1 The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Seyram A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Butame
authors.affiliation: 3 the Montrose Center, Houston, TX, USA.
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D012649:Self Concept; D000072339:Sexual and Gender Minorities / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: health disparities; health education; mental health; program evaluation; youth