Researchers at Florida State and Vanderbilt Universities claim parents have significantly higher levels of depression than adults without children. More surprisingly, this does not change when the kids leave home, and may in fact increase. Parents who do not have custody of their minor children may also experience greater depression than those who do.
Parents’ depression doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy being parents, the researchers explain, but that community support and help from extended family is often lacking in the U. S., making parenting a more emotionally draining experience. They hope their study will motivate parents to seek greater social support.
Let’s pause here a moment and reflect on the many LGBT parents who have been rejected by their families or are not out in their communities. The above study thus implies LGBT parents as a group face an even harder struggle against the forces that cause depression. Add that to evidence that LGBT people in general have higher rates of certain mental problems, including depression and anxiety, which may be fueled by discrimination, and the challenge for LGBT parents is daunting. That’s not good for either us or our kids. I am not by any means saying that all LGBT parents are or will become depressed–but simply that the risk is higher, not because of being LGBT, per se, but because of societal pressures and biases. Yet another argument for acceptance, openness, and equal rights.