Understanding Parental Support for Sexual Minority Youth to Prevent Suicide
Official title: The Roles of Parental Mental Health and Help-Seeking: Utilizing a Family Systems Approach to Upstream Suicide Prevention for Sexual Minority Youth
Funded at University of Southern California · NIH-11173626 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how parents' mental health and their willingness to seek help can support their sexual minority children and help prevent suicide.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | August 20, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $213,719 |
| NIH project number | 5R21MD019829-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11173626 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project is interested in parents of sexual minority youth, particularly those who have recently learned about their child's sexual identity.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals who are not parents of sexual minority youth or who are not interested in discussing their experiences with their child's coming out may not directly benefit from participating in this specific project.
What this research studies
We know that sexual minority youth face a higher risk of suicide attempts, and family support, especially from parents, plays a huge role in their well-being. This project aims to understand how parents come to accept their sexual minority children, which is a crucial step in preventing suicide. We will explore parents' own mental health and their experiences seeking support after their child shares their sexual identity. The goal is to gather information that can help develop better ways to support these families and, in turn, protect young people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new interventions and resources that help parents better support their sexual minority children, ultimately reducing suicide risk.
How similar studies have gone: While parental acceptance is known to be a critical factor, research specifically on how parents achieve acceptance and their help-seeking behaviors in this context is remarkably limited, making this a novel and exploratory approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Blosnich, John Rudolph — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Blosnich, John Rudolph
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.