Effects of Parental Knowledge on Depression in Young MSM

LGB youth are at increased risk for mental illness relative to their heterosexual peers. Certain parenting practices, such as parental knowledge of a child’s companions, activities and whereabouts, are known to have a protective effect against adverse outcomes in heterosexual teens. In this study we analyzed data from a study of ethnically diverse adolescent men who have sex with men (AMSM) to examine the effects of parental knowledge on a spectrum of depressive symptoms. We found that while there is no statistically significant association between parental knowledge and depression/anxiety (B=-.09, p=0.178) or suicidal ideation (B=-.29, p=0.371), higher parental knowledge was associated with a lower odds of a suicide attempt (B=-.66, p=0.009). Furthermore, there was a significant interaction between parental knowledge and a participant identifying as White with respect to suicide attempts (B=.76, p=0.031), such that in White AMSM, higher levels of parental knowledge were associated with a higher odds of a suicide attempt when compared to Black AMSM. This suggests that not only do certain parenting practices operate differently in LGB populations, but also among youth of different ethnic backgrounds. More research needs to be done on this topic to better understand its implications for the development of targeted intervention efforts.