**To share this story: In a recent article published in the  Journal of Social Work and Christianity ,* Adventist researchers shared their conclusions after conducting a special study: “Coming to terms with one’s sexual identity is a particularly complex process for Christian LGBT+ youth, many of whom are at high risk for negative outcomes such as depression, substance abuse and suicide.” According to survey findings, Seventh-day Adventist youth are no exception, and may have greater difficulty navigating these issues because of “the very high behavioral standards of our church.”   The study conducted by Curtis VanderWaal, David Sedlacek, Nancy Carbonell, and Shannon Trecartin surveyed 310 Adventist adult Millennials in the United States (18-35 years old) on their perceived levels of family acceptance or rejection of their sexual orientation or gender identity during their teen years.   The methods used in the study include choosing the target population, developing the survey, collecting the data, and dividing the sample into various demographics. Findings reported centered around religious backgrounds (97.4 percent grew up as Seventh-day Adventists with 76.8 percent describing their family as “very religious or spiritual”); and independent variables of family acceptance and rejection as the young adults surveyed answered questions about how they “came out as LGBT+ to a parent or caregiver,” the responses and consequences from the parent or caregiver, and the impact religion played in how respondents and families interpreted and responded to issues of orientation and identity. Social support from friends and family were part of the dependent variables in the survey.   This research was conducted to foster better understanding of LGBT+ Adventists — many church members talk  about  LGBT+ individuals, but few actually talk directly to them.

Read more at the source: Adventist Researchers Report LGBT+ Young Adult Survey Findings

Article excerpt posted on en.intercer.net from Adventist Church Connect.