Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: Mental health of youth has become an area of interest with regard to improving overall population health. As health narratives become increasingly present in media, identities of rural and LGBTQ+ have presented as risk factors for poor mental health within youth populations. These poor mental health and wellness outcomes are understood to negatively affect this population throughout their life course. This project presents an exploratory case of a small number of youth who reside in Halton Hills, located in rural Southern Ontario. This project utilized body mapping, an arts-based qualitative method to identify ways that minority stress is influencing youth psychological distress. Key themes identified in this study include: resilience, isolation, community support, self care, emotional, and 'out' and visible. Public health policy makers, community members, and health advocates can target these specific areas in order to better improve the lives of LGBTQ+ youth in rural and remote southern Ontario.
Author: Stephanie Gariscsak
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2800959990