'Families Are Forever' Designated Best Practices Against LGBT Suicide

As awareness of the level of suicide risk among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth has grown, communities are searching for prevention and intervention approaches that increase social support and decrease stigma to help reduce high levels of risk for LGBT youth. Now, materials from the Family Acceptance Project, including their award-winning film "Families Are Forever," make up the only multi-media "Best Practice" resources for suicide prevention for LGBT youth.
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Coordinated by the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) and known as the "SPRC/AFSP Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention," the Registry designates and maintains a peer-reviewed compendium of approved "best practices" to prevent suicide, all of which address specific aims of the national suicide prevention plan and have met objective criteria based on accuracy, safety, likelihood of meeting suicide prevention objectives, and adherence to prevention guidelines. Objectives included in the most recent national suicide plan call for recognizing the role that family acceptance plays in protecting against risk and that family rejection plays in contributing to suicide risk for LGBT youth.
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In the U.S., suicide comprises the second leading cause of death for young people, ages 10-24. Although sexual orientation and gender identity are not included in death reports, population-based studies over a period of years have shown that LGB adolescents are 3 times more likely to attempt suicide and 4 times more likely to have a medically serious attempt than their heterosexual peers.
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Called "riveting" by the Salt Lake Tribune, and the recipient of 20 awards, to date, "Families Are Forever" chronicles the journey of a devout Mormon family living in a conservative community who suddenly discover that their 13-year-old son is gay.
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The designation of "Families Are Forever as a "Best Practice" resource for suicide prevention comes on the heels of recent policy changes in the Mormon Church that have led to significant distress among LGBT Mormons and their families.

Last month, community reports of more than 32 suicide deaths of LGBT Mormon teens generated a wave of sadness and a sense of urgency to address high levels of risk for LGBT youth, especially in conservative communities where their LGBT identity may be at odds with religious beliefs and doctrine.

As the Family Acceptance Project has found, loss of connectedness and sense of belonging and the disconnection from key sources of support are critical stressors that increase vulnerability for LGBT young people from diverse backgrounds.

The Family Acceptance Project (FAP), directed by Dr. Caitlin Ryan at SF State University, has studied the critical role of family rejection and acceptance in contributing to and helping to protect against suicidal behavior and risk among LGBT young people. Dr. Ryan and her team have developed the first evidence-based family support model that includes research-based resources, interventions and strategies to help diverse families reduce risk for suicide and other major health concerns and to promote their LGBT children's well-being in the context of their families, cultures and faith communities.

This includes developing a series of research-based multilingual family education booklets that were the first "Best Practice" resources for suicide prevention for LGBT youth. More than 500,000 copies of these booklets have been disseminated across the U.S. and other countries online and in print, including tens of thousands of copies of a version for Mormon families to help prevent suicide and promote well-being for Mormon LGBT youth.
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The Family Acceptance Project's most recent addition to the Best Practices Registry for Suicide Prevention - "Families Are Forever" -- is one of a planned series of short documentary films that show the journey of ethnically and religiously diverse families from struggle to support of their LGBT children to give LGBT youth and families hope and to show how diverse families learn to support their LGBT children. Each family education film explores cultural, family and religious experiences in a format that universalizes their lives and motivates families to decrease family rejection and increase support by learning about behaviors that contribute to high levels of risk and behaviors that help prevent risk and support well-being -- even when they believe that being gay or transgender is wrong.

Released in three versions for private Family Home use, Educational and Institutional use, these films include research-based discussion guides and "Best Practice" educational materials to help diverse families, providers, religious leaders, educators and others understand how family rejecting behaviors contribute to risk and how family accepting and supportive behaviors help protect against risk, promote self-esteem and well-being, and help strengthen families.

Used together, the film and FAP's research-based materials are designed to open hearts and minds, provide positive role models of acceptance and support for LGBT children and youth and change longstanding misperceptions and rejecting attitudes and norms at the family, congregation and community levels.
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Over the past 15 years, the Family Acceptance Project has developed the field of family acceptance and intervention as a critical resource in prevention, intervention and promoting permanency by building healthy futures and helping to prevent and address multiple stigma-related health risks for LGBT youth, including suicide, substance abuse, HIV, homelessness and placement outside the home in foster care and juvenile justice facilities.
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A cornerstone of FAP's approach is helping to reduce risk and promote well-being for LGBT youth with families, foster families and caregivers from all backgrounds, including socially and religiously conservative families. FAP's family support approach is grounded in cutting edge research that helps families understand the negative outcomes of specific rejecting behaviors such as denying an adolescent's LGBT identity or trying to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.

FAP's research has found that high levels of specific family behaviors that reject an adolescent's LGBT identity are linked with more than 8 times greater likelihood of attempted suicide, and with other serious health concerns in young adulthood.

Similarly, specific family behaviors like requiring that other family members treat their LGBT child with respect help protect against suicide and other health risks and contribute to positive health and wellness as young adults.
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The Family Acceptance Project is a research, intervention, education and policy initiative, affiliated with San Francisco State University, that is designed to: 1) prevent risk, including suicide and homelessness, and promote well-being for LGBT children and adolescents in the context of their families, cultures and faith communities; and 2) has developed a research-based, family model of wellness, prevention, and care to build healthy futures for LGBT children and youth.

For more information, visit http://familyproject.sfsu.edu