Preventing Suicide Among 2SLBGTQIA Caregivers

As 2SLBGTQIA youth are more likely than other youth to have suicidal thoughts, it is important that we show love, kindness and acceptance to help support their mental health. Fear of not being accepted and being rejected by family and friends greatly increases the risk of suicide. 2SLBGTQIA parents’ mental health is impacted by a number of issues like trying to conceive, choosing surrogacy, loss of a child and the stigma about being a same sex couple. These resources will help you understand how to support 2SLBGTQIA parents mental health and where to go during challenging times.

Definitions

Terms are always changing in the LGBTQ+ community. This list is updated as often as possible to keep up with the rapid proliferation of queer and trans language. Please check it out so you are able to support the LGBTQ+ community and use terms correctly, hopefully resulting in less suicide among their community.

Gender Grammar

This quick resource provides definitions about the different genders that exist. Understanding these terms and using them correctly can improve the lives of the 2SLBGTQIA community and can help prevent suicide.

Graphics

Here you can access multiple graphics that provide information and resources on various topics related to LBGTQ mental health. Reviewing and sharing these graphics can help inform the public on important issues among the LGBTQ community and may explain their suicide rates and inform you on what you can to do help.

How To Be An Ally

This quick graphic demonstrates how you might be all ally of the 2SLBGTQIA community as well as provides links to more information.

LGBT Pregnancy Loss

This information sheet has been prepared for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people who experience pregnancy loss, and the mental health professionals who work with them.

A Guidebook for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans And Queer People on Assisted Human Reproduction in Canada

This 18–page guidebook is for LGBTQ people who are interested in using AHR services to have children. Friends, family and others who are allies and supports for LGBTQ AHR clients during this process may also find it helpful and instructive. In this guidebook, you will learn about conception and legal issues; tips to help navigate the AHR system with confidence; questions to pose and issues to consider when using AHR; additional information and community resources.

Our Trans Loved Ones

On the following pages you’ll read insights from parents, family members, and friends. You’ll hear from experts on gender at every point in a person’s life—from early childhood through adulthood—and you’ll learn new terminology that will help inform your understanding. In addition to new terminology, you’ll also find an extensive list of resources, and of course, unique support and education to help you embrace your transgender or gender-expansive.

Pregnantpause: A Guide for Lesbians on How to Get Pregnant

This 23–page guidebook provides information to reduce the stress of getting pregnant. Information includes the biology of conceiving, legal considerations, communicating with family and friends and what to expect when you are pregnant. First-person stories help the reader identify with the material. 

Welcoming Our Trans Family And Friends

The scope of this 65 page guide is to focus on providing support to parents, families and friends of transgender and gender non-conforming youth and adults. This publication includes insights from the parents of transgender children, professional viewpoints from experts on gender issues and information from educators about how to support young people at home and at school. And, it includes comprehensive information on terminology, a terrific list of other resources and unique advice on how to embrace your transgender or gender non-conforming loved one, and help them feel more comfortable as they strive to live openly, honestly and authentically as who they are.

National Alliance on Mental Illness

When a friend or family member develops a mental health condition, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. Family members and caregivers often play a large role in helping and supporting the millions of people who experience mental health conditions each year. You may be trying to help a family member who doesn’t have access to care or doesn’t want help. Or you may want to learn how to support and encourage someone who has been hospitalized or experienced a similar mental health crisis. We realize that the challenges of mental illness do not only affect an individual’s family members but also friends, teachers, neighbours, coworkers and others in the community. Here we use the terms family member and caregiver interchangeably to refer to someone giving emotional, financial or practical support to a person with a mental health condition. Whether you’re providing a lot of assistance or very little, the information here can help you better understand the issues that you might face.

PFlag

Pflag Canada is a national charitable organization, founded by parents who wished to help themselves and their family members understand and accept their LGBTQ2S children. The “coming-out” process can be a critical time for families. When the adjustment period is particularly long or painful, relationships can become permanently damaged, resulting in a lifetime of emotional scars. People cannot always rise above the challenge of accepting themselves or their family members, and the results can be devastating, even fatal. Visit their website for general resources as well as contact information for the team in Nova Scotia.

QTBIPOC Mental Health and Well-Being

QTBIPOC people who are BIPOC often face barriers to treatment and care because of mistrust of the medical community, and high un-insurance rates among many other societal injustices. Here on their website, the Human Rights Campaign has a list of resources for QTBIPOC mental health and wellness.

Same-Sex Parented Families in Australia

This 26–page research paper reviews and synthesizes Australian and international literature on same sex parented families. It includes discussion of the different modes of conception or family formation, different family structures, and the small number of studies on bisexual and transgender parents. Particular attention is paid to research on the emotional, social and educational outcomes for children raised by lesbian and gay parents, and the methodological strengths and weaknesses of this body of work.

Suicide Risk Factors among LGBTQ Youth: Review

Suicide is a tragic and costly yet preventable issue in public health that affects people of all races, ethnicities, ages, genders, and sexual orientation in the United States (US) and worldwide. Over the years, suicide has remained the third leading cause of death for youths between 15-24 years of age in the US Suicide and self-inflicting injurious behaviours in LGBTQ adolescents are associated with mental health challenges that include lack of acceptance from peers, discrimination, family rejection, and school failure. The purpose of this article is to report current suicide statistics by demographics, discuss suicide risk and protective factors, and review prevention strategies and intervention efforts.

Transgender Men And Lactation: What Nurses Need to Know

Research examining needs of postpartum transgender men in relation to lactation and infant feeding is missing from nursing literature. Accordingly, little is known about how perinatal nurses can best support this unique subset of postpartum patients. Case studies presented here reveal that transgender men would appreciate care from nurses who are knowledgeable about transgender individuals and their healthcare needs, but this type of care is not always available. Nurses need more education about how to best support transgender patients and families in order to achieve optimal lactation and infant nutrition in this population.

Transgender Parenting: A Review of Current Research

This 28–page report reviews the on the prevalence and characteristics of transgender people who are parents, the quality of the relationship between transgender parents and their children, outcomes for children with transgender parents and the reported needs of transgender parents.