In the last episode of this series, Andrew and Ashleigh seek to understand the connection between LGBT+ and mental health and share some of their own experiences. They explore difficult issues like the social stress model, family rejection and insidences of suicide.

There are plenty of practical tips on supporting young people who wrestle with mental ill health and they show how the Christian gospel both makes sense of suffering and offers hope in the midst of it.

There is also an interview with Dr. Preston Sprinkle from the Center For Faith, Sexuality & Gender.

Discussion questions

For the episode:

• Do we have a good understanding of the main mental health issues our teens might be struggling with? (depression, anxiety, low self-esteem/self worth, self harm, eating disorders, suicidality, shame, addiction, etc.) If not, what’s our next step in learning?
• How can we provide a safe environment for teens to be honest about their pain/struggles?
• What practical things/resources should we put in place to equip us as a team and any youth who need help? (eg member of Ashleigh’s youth team did a bunch of research and created a brief document explaining various mental health problems and providing resources for helping with each)

For the series:

• What are your key takeaways?
• What should we continue to pray about?
• What’s your priority to do next? 

Resources mentioned and related

• Youth Leaders' Crash Course podcast page
• LGBT and Mental Health: What’s the Link? Andrew Bunt
• A Christian Perspective on LGBTQ+ Mental Health Andrew Bunt
• Does Christian Teaching Cause LGBT Mental Health Problems? (Questions No One Wants To Answer #5)
• The Mental Health and Well-Being of Celibate Gay Christians Mark Yarhouse and Olya Zaporozhets
• Does Living Out Support ‘Gay Cure’ or ‘Reparative Therapy’? Ed Shaw
• LGBTQ+ Suicide Andrew Bunt
• It’s Time to Stop Weaponising Suicide Andrew Bunt
• Suicide Facts and Myths Transgender Trend
• Center For Faith, Sexuality & Gender
• Does the Bible Support Same-Sex Marriage? Preston Sprinkle
• Stats For Gender
• Headstrong: Mental wellbeing for young people
• Alumina: 7 week course for young people struggling with self-harm
• Mind.org.uk