Abstract

This study explores the relationship between social support at church and the well-being of adolescents who currently or previously belonged to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS, formally known as Mormon), differentiating between LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ adolescents. Past studies show that social support is negatively related to suicidality for adolescents. However, open questions remain about if this relationship is similar for LDS adolescents who identify as LGBTQ+ compared to those who do not. To test this question, I used data from the Family Foundations of Youth Development, a project that randomly sampled adolescents from Utah, Arizona, and California. I drew a subsample of 765 LDS adolescents. From this sample, 105 LGBTQ+ and 660 non-LGBTQ+ adolescents were compared to see if being LGBTQ+ moderated the relationship between church social support on suicide risk. Results from logistic regression models showed increased parental support was related to decreased suicide risk, regardless of adolescents' sexual or gender identity. However, church peer and leader support were not protective against suicide risk for LGBTQ+ or non-LGBTQ+ adolescents. Surprisingly, for LGBTQ+ adolescents, increased support from church peers and leaders was significantly correlated with increased suicide risk. These findings underscore the importance of nuanced exploration regarding the relationship between various forms of social support on the well-being of LDS adolescents, especially those identifying as LGBTQ+.

Degree

MS

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Family Life

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2024-04-08

Document Type

Thesis

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd13556

Keywords

LGBTQ+, adolescent, social support, LDS, Mormon, suicide, well-being

Language

english

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