Research snapshot: Examining the impact of negative media coverage on LGBTQ+ young adults
Kirsty Clark, assistant professor of medicine, health, and society, studies mental health disparities impacting LGBTQ+ populations through her lab. The Clark Lab then develops evidence-based interventions to disrupt the course of such disparities.
Clark recently published research in JAMA Pediatrics that explores the effects of negative news and media coverage on the intensity of suicidal thoughts in LGBTQ+ young adults. Funded by the National Institute of Mental Health, Clark shares the results of her research, the impact it may have on the LGBTQ+ community, and implications for public policy.
Q: What issue does your research address?
A: Our research addresses the role of exposure to negative news and media—like a news headline, a television advertisement, or a social media post—on the heightened risk for suicidal thinking among LGBTQ+ young adults in Tennessee. In the past few years in the U.S., over 1,000 bills have been introduced at the state level targeting the rights and visibility of LGBTQ+ people. Here in Tennessee in 2023 and 2024 alone, the state legislature introduced more than 70 anti-LGBTQ+ bills and passed more than 20 into law, making Tennessee a nation leader in anti-LGBTQ+ laws and policies. Many of these laws and policies have been coupled with a large amount of negative news and media coverage in local and national news outlets, in print, on television, and online. We used a novel research design that allowed us to capture in real time exposure to negative news or media and suicidal thinking. We recruited a sample of Tennessee-based LGBTQ+ young adults aged 18 to 24 with histories of suicidal thinking and mild depressive symptoms. Participants in our study answered short surveys three times per day for 28 consecutive days via a smartphone app. Through these short surveys, we captured participants’ very recent exposure to negative news or media, whether the news or media was related to LGBTQ+ people or topics, as well as participants’ current levels of suicidal thinking when they answered each survey. Our technology-based approach provided much more granular evidence on suicidal thinking and its risk factors than had been previously gathered from LGBTQ+ young adults.
Q: What were your findings?
A: Our main finding was that levels of suicidal thinking increased in the hours immediately following exposure to LGBTQ+ negative news or media, but not following exposure to general negative news or media unrelated to one’s identity. This finding underscores the critical role of exposure to identity-related negative news or media on real-time fluctuations in suicidal thinking among LGBTQ+ young adults in Tennessee. When we dug into factors to help explain our main finding, we found that participants’ real-time expectations of rejection—how worried they were about being rejected or discriminated against for their LGBTQ+ identity—explained some of the relationship between real-time exposure to LGBTQ+ negative news or media and increased suicidal thinking.
Q: What impact might your findings have on the LGBTQ+ community?
A: This study provides additional evidence supporting the growing body of research demonstrating the harmful effects of anti-LGBTQ+ laws and policies on the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people. It underscores the urgent need to strengthen support systems for LGBTQ+ youth, especially in places like Tennessee, where there is significant negative public discourse around LGBTQ+ topics. As the November presidential election approaches, the likelihood of intensified negative news and media coverage regarding LGBTQ+ people and policies increases. This makes it crucial to ensure robust support for LGBTQ+ youth to prevent and address suicidal thoughts across mental health care settings, at home and at school. Mental health care providers should proactively inquire about LGBTQ+ young people’s exposure to negative news and media and practice coping strategies. It’s essential for parents of LGBTQ+ youth to be aware of these mental health risks, and to offer additional support and affirmation. Educators and school counselors should also recognize the heightened vulnerability of LGBTQ+ youth during periods of intense media coverage and seek to provide safe spaces, such as Gender-Sexuality Alliances, where these young people can come together to build confidence and pride. It is important that we work together to build esteem, belonging, and empowerment throughout LGBTQ+ young people’s everyday lives.
Q: What additional research might be conducted because of your findings?
A: First, I think an important direction for future research is to study the role of exposure to positive and affirming news, like stories of LGBTQ+ youth thriving, and on potentially improving mental health factors like hope and self-esteem among LGBTQ+ young people. Second, in the next step of this study, which we are launching very soon, my research team will be interviewing mental health providers and digital intervention experts about how this kind of real-time data could be integrated into clinical care to better support LGBTQ+ young people receiving mental health services. We are looking forward to continuing to explore possibilities for real-time data collection in improving mental health research and intervention to support LGBTQ+ young people.
Looking Ahead
In September, Clark and her collaborators at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the University of Southern California, and Washington University in St. Louis were awarded a $2.5 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health to continue this program of research to understand and prevent LGBTQ+ youth suicide risk. In this newly funded grant, Clark and her team will focus on LGBTQ+ preteens (9–12) to understand the trajectories of risk and protective factors in an earlier stage of development.
Resources
Tennessee offers a variety of resources to support LGBTQ+ youth and their families. There are also many nationally available resources if you are experiencing distress, have thoughts of suicide, or want to learn how to support a friend:
- The Trevor Project: Talk to an LGBTQ+-trained counselor 24/7.
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: LGBTQ+ people under 25 can access 24/7 LGBTQ+ support on 988.
- Now Matters Now: Provides skills and support for coping with suicidal thoughts.
Read the full paper in JAMA Pediatrics.