Trajectories of Depressive Symptoms and Suicidality Among Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Youth

Sexual minority youth report higher rates of depression and suicidality than do heterosexual youth. Little is known, however, about whether these disparities continue as youth transition into young adulthood. The primary goals of this study were to describe and compare trajectories of adolescent depressive symptoms and suicidality among sexual minority and heterosexual youth, examine differences in depressive symptoms and suicidality trajectories across sexual orientation subgroups, and determine whether there are gender differences in these longitudinal disparities. Four waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health were analyzed using latent curve modeling (N = 12,379; 53 % female). Results showed that the rates of depressive symptoms and suicidality in early adolescence were higher among sexual minority youth than among heterosexual youth, and that these disparities persisted over time as participants transitioned into young adulthood. Consistent with previous cross-sectional studies, the observed longitudinal disparities were largest for females and for bisexually-identified youth. Sexual minority youth may benefit from childhood and early adolescent prevention and intervention programs.     

Depoliticising development: The uses and abuses of participation

Participation must be seen as political. There are always tensions underlying issues such as who is involved, how, and on whose terms. While participation has the potential to challenge patterns of dominance, it may also be the means through which existing power relations are entrenched and reproduced. The arenas in which people perceive their interests and judge whether they can express them are not neutral. Participation may take place for a whole range of unfree reasons. It is important to see participation as a dynamic process, and to understand that its own form and function can become a focus for struggle.     

Women Arrested for IPV Offenses: Abuse Experiences Yet Low Trauma Pathology

The purpose of this study is to explore how abuse experienced from a current partner and history of childhood abuse perpetrated by a parent are related to trauma symptomalogy in a sample of 82 women adjudicated for Intimate Partner Violence related offenses. Findings are mixed. Although a majority of the participants report some abuse from their partner and/or parent, both the degree of this violence and the presence of trauma pathology are lower than expected. Additionally, correlations between the three scales of partner abuse and the degree of posttraumatic sequelae are either low or did not meet significance. However, level of childhood abuse perpetrated by a mother is highly correlated with traumatic sequelae while childhood abuse from father is not. A number of reasons for these findings, which have implications for practice and future research, are discussed.