The Importance of Found Families
What are they?
Why are we talking about this?
Great question. Family relationships are vital to the development and stability of our mental health.
A healthy family structure can “provide a greater sense of meaning and purpose as well as social and tangible resources that benefit well-being,” according to the GSA journal Innovative Aging.
The LGBTQIA+ population makes up a large portion of those in crisis.
Sadly, 39% of LGBTQIA+ people claim that they had been disowned or rejected by their biological family. The study respondents cited their sexual orientation and gender identity as the core reason for being rejected.
Another population that seems to be highly impacted is Gender Nonconforming and Transgender college-age students.
The Journal of College Student Psychotherapy found that this population had “significantly worse family relationships relative to cisgender [students].”
But for those who do have poor family connections, a wide variety of problems can accompany them.
We have already discussed mental distress and homelessness, but it does not end there. Having a disconnected family, especially uninvolved parents, can put someone at “risk of struggling in future relationships due to withdrawal and fear of abandonment.”
It may also cause a greater prevalence of overthinking, poor coping skills, and self-blame. These behaviors are known causes and symptoms of mental illnesses such as depression and generalized anxiety disorder.
How do Found Families help?
Found families fill the human need for close, reliable, and safe interpersonal connections.
Since people choose their found family, there is a much greater chance of everyone understanding, relating, and sharing similar thoughts and interests.
Even better, it is not hard to do.
There are many ways to find and create your own tribe. Some examples include:
Joining clubs, sports, or LGBTQIA+ organizations.
Interacting (safely) with online forums.
Going to community events that match your interests.
Volunteering!
Getting involved in school or work.
PS: If you’re struggling, this blog is a great place to start.
If you are experiencing domestic violence or family violence, click here now!
If you are in immediate danger, call 911 or your local emergency line.
Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5559994/
https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/publications/serving-our-youth-lgbtq/
https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2013/06/13/a-survey-of-lgbt-americans/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5954612/
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/87568225.2020.1810598