Dr. Caitlin Ryan, of San Francisco State University, is a leading authority on the influence of families on their lesbian-gay-Bisexual-Transgender (LGBT) children, and on health and mental health issues for LGBT youth. She is the director of the first groundbreaking, comprehensive study of LGBT adolescents and their families, Showing that parents, families, and religious communities can have a profound effect on the prevalence of depression, suicide, substance abuse, and risk for HIV infection among homosexuals. Dr. Ryan is developing a new evidence-based approach to help families decrease LGBT children’s risk for serious health problems and promote their well-being based on specific accepting and rejecting behaviors of parents, families, and caregivers. This session includes a discussion of the implications of Dr. Ryan’s research for Latter-day Saint families.

Caitlin Ryan