Youngsters who are supported by their parents after coming out
have stronger mental health than those who weren't, a U.S. study
has confirmed.
The research, by Boston University School of Public Health
researcher Emily Rothman, claims that mental health problems of
those with positive coming-out experiences were significantly lower
than those who did not.
The study was conducted with a large sample range of almost
6,000 people between 18-64 in the state of Massachusetts.
Published in the Journal of Homosexuality, they explored whether
coming out-and the reaction that it received -was associated with
better or worse adult health.
They found that gay and bisexual males whose parents did not
support them, for example, had six to seven times the odds of
serious depression and binge drinking, according to website
MedicalXpress.com.
Meanwhile, lesbian and bisexual females had five times the odds
of developing serious depression, and more than ten times the
likelihood of developing substance abuse.
