CDIAS PSMG: Alberto Valido
Longitudinal Pathways of Depression and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among LGBTQ Youth of Color: An Integrative Data Analysis
Alberto Valido, PhD
University of Missouri
ABSTRACT:
Recent data from the Trevor Project reveals alarming disparities in mental health outcomes among LGBTQ youth of color, with significantly higher rates of depression and suicide risk compared to their White LGBTQ peers. Despite these documented disparities, there has been limited longitudinal research examining how these outcomes develop throughout adolescence among Black/African American and Hispanic/Latinx LGBTQ youth. This presentation will provide an overview of an innovative integrative data analysis combining 19 longitudinal studies to examine developmental trajectories of depression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among LGBTQ youth of color. We will discuss the theoretical frameworks guiding this research, including intersectionality and minority stress theory, and will present findings on distinct developmental patterns identified through longitudinal statistical techniques. The presentation will highlight critical periods of elevated risk during adolescence, demographic differences in risk trajectories, and specific depression symptoms that strongly predict high-risk suicide outcomes. We will conclude by discussing implications for early intervention and culturally responsive prevention strategies to address these health disparities. The methodological approaches demonstrated in this research offer new pathways for understanding complex mental health outcomes in underrepresented populations and developing more effective interventions.