Washington D.C., September 26, 2012 – The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) is proud to announce its new Practice Parameter on issues related to and affecting gay, lesbian, bisexual, and gender variant youth.
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and gender variant children and adolescents face unique developmental challenges and stressors that can influence their mental health and wellbeing. Social issues such as stigma, bullying, and discrimination, and personal factors like internalized prejudice and feelings of being different are just a few of the concerns that can affect gender and sexual minority youth. To help combat these problems and inform mental health professionals and those caring for children and adolescents about current best clinical practices, the new Practice Parameter provides practice principles and also discusses cultural competence, research needs, and ethics.
Author Dr. Stewart L. Adelson said of the Parameter, "Through this effort, AACAP has provided mental health clinicians with the latest tools to help children and adolescents who may be growing up gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender to avoid or overcome problems like depression, anxiety, suicidality, substance-abuse, or high-risk behavior, for which they are sometimes at risk as a result of problems like family rejection or bullying."
The article "Practice Parameter on Gay, Lesbian, or Bisexual Sexual Orientation, Gender Nonconformity, and Gender Discordance in Children and Adolescents" by Stewart L. Adelson and the AACAP Committee on Quality Issues (CQI) (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2012.07.004) appears in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Volume 51, Issue 9 (September 2012), published by Elsevier.
Notes for editors
Full text of the article is available to credentialed journalists upon request; contact Mary Billingsley at +1 202 966 7300 x105 or mbillingsley@jaacap.org. Journalists wishing to interview the authors may contact Stewart Adelson at sla15@columbia.edu.
All articles published in JAACAP are embargoed until 3PM ET of the day they are published as corrected proofs online. Articles cannot be publicized as accepted abstracts. Contents of the publication should not be released to or by the media or government agencies before this date.
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP)
Representing over 8,000 child and adolescent psychiatrists nationwide, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP) is the leading national professional medical association dedicated to treating and improving the quality of life for children, adolescents, and families affected by mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders.
About JAACAP
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry is the flagship journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and is the leading journal focusing exclusively on today's psychiatric research and treatment of the child and adolescent. Published twelve times per year, each issue is committed to its mission of advancing the science of pediatric mental health and promoting the care of youth and their families.
JAACAP's goal is to advance the science of child and adolescent psychiatry by publishing original research and papers of theoretical, scientific, and clinical relevance to the field. JAACAP welcomes unpublished manuscripts whose primary focus is on the mental health of children, adolescents, and families. Submissions may come from diverse viewpoints including but not limited to: genetic, epidemiological, neurobiological, and psychopathological research; cognitive, behavioral, psychodynamic, and other psychotherapeutic investigations; parent-child, interpersonal, and family research; and, clinical and empirical research in inpatient, outpatient, consultation-liaison, and school-based settings. JAACAP also seeks to promote the well-being of children and families by publishing scholarly papers on such subjects as health policy, legislation, advocacy, culture and society, and service provision as they pertain to the mental health of children and families.
About Elsevier
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Media contact
Mary Billingsley
JAACAP Editorial Office
+1 202 966 7300 x105
mbillingsley@jaacap.org
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry