Suicide is a national problem and is the second leading cause of death among college students. The concern, however, does not rest solely for those students who seriously consider suicide, but also for those who struggle with distress and do not seek help. Scholars have called for suicide prevention efforts to take a population-based intervention approach, as the majority of campus counseling centers are under-resourced and overwhelmed with demand. Increasing connectedness on college campuses has been considered a key strategy for suicide prevention, as connectedness is linked to health and wellbeing and is also theorized to play an important role in preventing the desire for death. However, little is known about how connectedness manifests for college students and the ways in which connectedness is related to distress and suicidal thoughts. The current exploratory study builds upon existing research by examining the relationship between connectedness, distress, and suicidal thinking. More specifically, the study examines the extent to which connectedness protects students against the development of distress and suicidal thoughts. Moreover, it examines the relationship between gender, sexual orientation, and membership in student groups with connectedness, distress, and suicidal thoughts. This information contributes to a fuller understanding of the factors that may protect people from suicidal thoughts and improve campus suicide prevention efforts, with the aim of bolstering the mental health of the college community. The study uses archival data from a national survey of college student coping collected in 2011 by The National Research Consortium of Counseling Centers in Higher Education. Multiple and logistic regression were used to explore relationships between historical and demographic predictors, self-reported connectedness, distress, and suicidal thoughts during a stressful period. Results indicated that connectedness was negatively related to distress and suicidal thinking. Females endorsed lower connectedness and higher distress than males. Non-heterosexual students endorsed lower connectedness, higher distress, and higher odds of suicidal thinking compared to heterosexual students. Membership in student groups was related to higher connectedness and lower distress, differences were found in the types of groups of which students were members. Implications for population level campus interventions are discussed. / text

Today we live in a world of heightened religious awareness and sensitivity. The events of September 11, 2001 sent a shock wave throughout American society and in some cases ignited a religious spark in those shocked by the attacks. The result has been a distinct and clearly visible fragmentation of the United States along religious and ideological boundaries. The United States Military is not immune to stress caused by these divides. There have been claims of anti-Muslim sentiment within select units of the U.S. Army; accusations that some leaders at the U.S. Air Force Academy were using their positions to promote their faith and discriminate against minority faiths, and allegations that the U.S. Navy is prohibiting chaplains from practicing their faith. In this thesis, I examine these and other cases along with the religious diversity trends since 2001 to demonstrate that the potential for continued and increased religious conflict in the military is high. I will further argue that the solution to avoiding these conflicts is through training and education provided at the initial stages of enlisted training and at the commissioning source for officers.

Navigating the process of coming out led to feelings of isolation, depression, and a loss of self-worth that were compounded by a period filled with negative social media and mainstream messaging. This thesis explores how an understanding of the systems and processes of nature as well as physical exposure to nature offered a place of healing and an avenue for understanding my identity as a Gay man: from identity confusion all the way through to identity synthesis. Using Scholarly Personal Narrative Methodology, I will interweave poetry and counter narrative storytelling to illustrate the significance of nature during my identity development. Sexual orientation is scrutinized and vilified through social media platforms, advertisements, and daily life under the basis of cultural ideology and social construction. This disregards the larger contextual importance of other species that exhibit similar behaviors. I maintain that a connection with nature can provide individuals with a broader and more balanced perspective of sexual orientation--whilst navigating through the coming out process leading to a confluent sense of identity with reduced internalized conflict.

To better understand the responses of siblings to the disclosure of a sister's lesbian identity, eight pairs of siblings, each consisting of one lesbian participant and one of her siblings, were interviewed. Both lesbian and sibling participants were asked to discuss family relationships before disclosure (coming out), the actual disclosure, sibling reactions, parental reactions, and family relationships since disclosure. Notable results include "closeness" in sibling relationships and high levels of "trust" as strong predictors of supportive sibling responses. Siblings were also found to take on the role of confidant and counselor for their parents as they negotiated their daughters' newly-disclosed sexual orientation.

A narrative qualitative research design was used to understand the journeys of three lesbians with Oneness Pentecostal backgrounds who have reconciled their religious beliefs with their sexual orientation. Three participants were selected who met the following criteria: (a) the participant is a lesbian female who (b) grew up in a Oneness Pentecostal church and (c) has reconciled being a lesbian with her religious beliefs, and who is (d) willing to discuss her outing process. These participants were interviewed. The interview questions were submitted to participants prior to the scheduled interviews. The interviews began with an open-ended inquiry. In answer to the research question, the three participants’ stories revealed that reconciliation journeys are unique and complicated. The motivation to embark on a journey of reconciliation of religious beliefs with sexual orientation stemmed from the participants’ same-sex attractions. Further motivators for the participants to explore and reconstruct religious beliefs were feelings of shame and guilt. The participants arrived at a place where they could no longer deny their feelings. As I read the participants’ stories, I analyzed the stories by utilizing the narrative therapy term of “re-authoring.” I found that the three unifying aspects of re-authoring in the participants’ stories were re-authoring religious beliefs, re-authoring definitions of family and re-authoring self. .

O trabalho investiga as formas contemporâneas de disrupção da homossexualidade hegemônica no Brasil praticadas por gays efeminados, e em específico o papel das escolhas vestimentares como instrumento político de performance de homossexualidades contra-hegemônicas. A pesquisa se inicia por uma revisão de literatura por meio da qual procuramos colocar em perspectiva os vínculos entre moda e homossexualidade masculina ao longo da história do Brasil, evidenciando os diferentes sentidos historicamente atribuídos ao uso da moda como expressão de homossexualidades. Em seguida, procedemos a entrevistas pessoais em profundidade com cinco homens gays efeminados residentes na cidade de São Paulo, que não se encaixam no padrão heteronormativo hegemônico, com foco em seus usos vestimentares. Por meio da análise percebemos seu questionamento em relação às tentativas sociais de universalização, ou padronização, da performance de homossexualidade masculina. O estudo contribui para um melhor entendimento dos homossexuais masculinos contemporâneos que se opõem às coerções de uma masculinidade hegemônica / This research investigates the contemporary forms of disruption of hegemonic homosexuality practiced in Brazil by effeminate homosexuals, and particularly the role of dress as a political instrument of performance of counter-hegemonic homosexualities. The research begins with a literature review through which we try to put into perspective the links between fashion and male homosexuality throughout Brazilian history, emphasizing the different meanings that have been historically attributed to fashion as a homosexuality sign. Next, we conducted in-depth personal interviews with five effeminate gay men living in the city of São Paulo who do not fit into the hegemonic, heteronormative pattern, focusing on their dress uses. Through the analysis of the interviews we assess their questioning of social attempts of standardization of male homossexual performances. The study contributes to a better understanding of contemporary gay individuals who react to the coercions of a hegemonic masculinity

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Thesis advisor: Stephanie Berzin / A growing body of evidence shows that sexual minority youth disproportionately suffer from poor mental health and substance abuse outcomes in comparison to their heterosexual peers. Parental support has been found to be a strong protective factor for these youth. There is a lack of research, however, that examines the role of non-parental adult support, such as natural mentors (e.g., teachers, grandparents, and coaches). Guided by minority stress and resiliency theories, the current study aims to deepen our understanding of whether natural mentors act as a resilience resource for sexual minority youth. The current study uses the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) restricted-use dataset. This is a large, nationally representative sample of both heterosexual (n=12,667) and sexual minority youth (n=1,413), ages 18 to 26. Variable-centered (i.e., multiple regression analysis with moderation) and person-centered (latent class analysis) statistical techniques were utilized to explore the effect of the presence and characteristics of natural mentoring relationships on a range of mental health and substance abuse outcomes. Results show that natural mentors have a similar relationship with health outcomes, regardless of sexual orientation. Perceived closeness is a critical characteristic of the mentoring relationship, exhibiting significant associations with depression, suicide ideation, self-esteem, life satisfaction, and binge drinking. Furthermore, those who have lifelong, close relationships with non-parental adult family members receive the most benefit. It is noteworthy that sexual minority youth are significantly less likely to have a permanent family mentor. Rather, they are more likely to have mentors from high school with whom they lack closeness as they transition into adulthood. Several suggestions for individual and school-based interventions to assist sexual minority youth in developing and maintaining long-term relationships with non-parental adult family members are discussed. The current study emphasizes the importance of supporting and advocating for greater policy change that will directly address minority stressors that sexual minority youth face. Findings from the current study make a significant contribution to the social work field by extending our knowledge regarding resiliency among sexual minority youth and offering concrete avenues for intervention. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Social Work. / Discipline: Social Work.

A decisão por revelar a orientação sexual, bem como em quais contextos fazê-lo, implica diretamente na trajetória de vida dos homossexuais. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever a revelação da orientação sexual, segundo as características sociodemográficas, contextos e graus de revelação e episódios de discriminação e agressão entre 1217 homens de 18 a 77 anos, frequentadores de espaços de sociabilidade em dois distritos da capital paulista que aceitaram participar do estudo Sampacentro. Este estudo é um desdobramento de pesquisa maior cuja metodologia adotada foi à amostragem por tempo-espaço e os instrumentos de coleta foram: questionários de inclusão e estruturado com questões sociodemográficas, sociabilidade/práticas sexuais, atitudes e percepções sobre prevenção, estigma e discriminação. As variáveis foram descritas por frequências e proporções. Os testes de hipótese utilizados foram qui-quadrado de Pearson e Exato de Fischer para as diferenças entre as proporções e qui-quadrado de tendência para as variáveis ordinais. O nível de significância adotado foi 5 por cento . Predominou raça/cor de pele branca (59 por cento ), alta escolaridade, 43 por cento com graduação concluída; elevada proporção de atividade remunerada (90 por cento ); prevaleceu padrão socioeconômico B (57 por cento ); elevada proporção de não praticantes de religião (51 por cento ); 55 por cento solteiros e 82 por cento homossexuais. Foram estatisticamente significantes a revelação da orientação entre os jovens, os de raça/cor branca, os que estavam namorando e entre os homossexuais. 52 por cento dos participantes compartilharam a orientação sexual em todos os contextos sociais e em ordem crescente a distribuição da revelação entre os domínios da vida se deu nos contextos de amizade, dos serviços de saúde, familiar, trabalho e escolar. Em relação à experiência de discriminação observamos tendência crescente a maior exposição à medida que a orientação era compartilhada em número maior de contextos sociais. Para agressão também verificamos tendência crescente à medida que a orientação estava compartilhada em mais contextos sociais nos subitens: agressão física, verbal e ameaça de agressão, chantagem e constrangimento no trabalho. Concluímos que a revelação da orientação sexual é ainda um desafio na trajetória de homens homossexuais, acentuada por barreiras sociais, e que quanto mais contextos sociais compartilham a informação acerca da orientação sexual maior é a possibilidade da pessoa homossexual ser submetida a atos de discriminação e agressão. / The decision to reveal ones sexual orientation, and in what contexts to do it has a direct impact on the trajectory of homosexuals lives. The objective of this study was to describe the development of sexual orientation according to sociodemographic characteristics, contexts and degrees of development and episodes of discrimination and aggression among 1217 men aged 18 to 77 years frequenting social spaces in two areas of São Paulos State capital who agreed to participate in the Sampacentro study. This study is an outgrowth of a larger research whose methodology was the time-space sampling and whose data collection instruments were: questionnaires about inclusion structured around questions about sociodemographic data, sociability and sexual practices, attitudes and perceptions about prevention, stigma and discrimination. The variables were described as frequencies and proportions. The hypothesis tests used were chi-square test and Fisher\'s Exact test for differences between proportions and chi-square test for trends for ordinal variables. The level of significance was set at 5 per cent . Predominant among the sample were the white race/color (59 per cent ), high level of education, (43 per cent university graduates), high employment rate (90 per cent ), high socioeconomic standard (57 per cent in Class B), high proportion of not practicing any religion (51 per cent ); 55 per cent declared themselves as single and 82 per cent as gay. The revelation of their status as gay was statistically significant among young people, the white race/skin color, among those who were dating and among homosexuals. Fifty-two percent of participants shared information about their sexual orientation in all social scenarios; the distribution is given in ascending order in the scenarios of friendship, health services, family, school and work. Regarding the experience of all kinds of discrimination there was tendency to greater discrimination as the sexual orientation was shared in more scenarios. There was in increasing trend for suffering aggression as the orientation was shared in more scenarios, regarding physical aggression, verbal abuse and threats, beatings, the scam of lacing drinks with hypnotic drugs, blackmail and harassment at work. We conclude that the development of sexual orientation is still a challenge in the trajectory of homosexual men marked by social barriers, and that in the greater number of social scenarios the information about gay sexual orientation is shared, the bigger are the chances to suffer discrimination and aggression.

This dissertation examines the assessment and documentation of sexual orientation and gender identity in the home healthcare setting, specifically patient and nurse perceptions of such data collection, as well as what is documented in nurses’ narrative notes about patients’ sexual orientation and gender identity. Chapter One describes the problem of health disparities among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) patients and how lack of documentation contributes to this problem. In Chapter Two, an integrated review of the literature on patients’ attitudes and perceptions related to the collection of information about sexual orientation and gender identity in the healthcare setting is reported. In Chapter Three, a qualitative study to determine nurses’ experiences, attitudes, and perceptions related to collecting information about sexual orientation and gender identity in the home healthcare setting is reported, and emergent barriers and facilitators discussed. In Chapter Four, a data mining study to examine what is documented about sexual orientation and gender identity in narrative home care nurses’ notes in an electronic health record is described. Finally, in Chapter Five, the findings of the three studies are summarized, overarching conclusions reported and implications for policy, practice and research are discussed.