Poster Session 1: Couple Experiences

Presenters: Jamie Dellinger, Lauren Smithee, Ashley King, Samantha Simpson, Jody Russon

Summary
Suicide disproportionately affects LGBTQ+ youth. While the quality of family relationships contributes to suicidality for most adolescents, LGBTQ+ youth may be particularly at risk for rejection and conflict. Given the impact of family relationships on mental health, family-based interventions may be relevant for this population. Historically, LGBTQ+ mental health organizations have been cautious about involving caregivers due to the potential for encountering rejecting behavior; however, no research to date examines families' perceptions of family-based suicide treatments in these settings. This qualitative study analyzed transcripts from12exit interviews to understand youth and caregivers' perceptions of an attachment-informed family therapy approach. Results revealed that youth and caregivers experienced positive intrapersonal and relational shifts over therapy. Implications for practice with LGBTQ+ youth will be discussed.

Objectives
-- To understand the challenges associated with conducting family therapy with youthwhoidentify as LGBTQ+ and their caregivers.
-- To describewhy family therapy may be appropriate for some LGBTQ+ youth, particularly those endorsing suicidal ideation.
-- To discusshow LGBTQ+ youth and their caregivers' perceptions of a family-based treatment model can support future clinical research.

Subject Codes: suicide, parent-child relationships, identity
Population Codes: transgender, trans*, lgb+, sexual orientation inclusive
Method and Approach Codes: qualitative methodology, thematic analysis, interventions