Community Resources

Celebrating the "Other" Parent: Mental Health and Wellness of Expecting Lesbian, Bisexual, and Queer Non-Birth Parents

Lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LBQ) nonbirth parents have a unique role in the parenting spectrum. The term nonbirth parent refers to the expecting, nonpregnant partner. Previous work suggests that there are unique mental health stressors for LBQ nonbirth parents; however, research addressing this topic is scant. This paper explored the factors that affect mental health and wellness in LBQ nonbirth parents during pregnancy. Results are organized into four themes: biology, connectedness, and relatedness; social recognition; social support; and changes during pregnancy. This study has important implications for clinical practice, policy development, and health promotion activities.

Mothering on the Margins

Funded by CIHR, The Mothering on the Margins (MOMs) project was a research study carried out by researchers at the CAMH and the LGBTQ Parenting Network. One of the goals of this research was to learn about the factors that contribute to emotional well being in LGBT mothers and mothers-to-be. Some some outcomes include:

• Baby makes three: Daily Xtra (published May 25, 2005)
• An academic paper titled "Perceptions of predisposing and protective factors for perinatal depression in same-sex parent" (Ross, Steele & Sapiro, 2005)
• An academic paper titled "'I Don't Want to Turn Totally Invisible': Mental Health, Stressors, and Supports among Bisexual Women during the Perinatal Period" (Ross, Siegal, Dobinson, Epstein & Steele, 2012)

Transforming Family

Launched to respond to transphobic practices in fertility clinics and the legal system, this report aims to fill an important gap in knowledge by documenting the impact of transphobia on trans parents and drawing attention to the strengths that they bring to parenting.

Creating Our Families: A pilot study of the experiences of LGBT people accessing assisted human reproduction services in Ontario

Many LGBTQ people choose to parent. However, many LGBTQ people must rely on outside assistance to create their families, including use of assisted human reproduction (AHR) services. As a result, LGBTQ people make up a significant proportion of AHR service users in some parts of Canada. This study launched in 2010 to learn about their experiences with AHR services and to identify perceived barriers and supports to AHR service access for LGBTQ people. Some outcomes include:

• Reproductive Options for Trans People Fact Sheet
• An academic paper on trans people's experiences with assisted reproduction services (James-Abra et al. 2015)
• A guidebook on accessing AHR services for LGBTQ Prospective Parents (french version)
• A video series titled "Scenes from a Fertility Clinic"

Practice Guidelines for LGB Clients

Practice Guidelines for LGB Clients is intended to inform the practice of psychologists and to provide information for the education and training of psychologists regarding LGB issues.

Rainbow Health Ontario

Rainbow Health Ontario works to improve access to services and promote the health of LGBTQ communities and are a valuable resource for community groups, service providers, researchers and policy makers. RHO delivers training to health and social service providers across Ontario on a variety of LGBTQ health related topics. Find out more.

The Oxford Handbook of Perinatal Psychology

The Oxford Handbook of Perinatal Psychology (Wenzel, 2016) is the most comprehensive resource to date on perinatal psychology. Ch.30 provides an overview of the Perinatal Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people, written by Lori Ross and Abbie Goldberg.

This chapter aims to educate scholars and practitioners about the context of LGBT parenting and perinatal psychology in LGBT people to further research on this population, as well as to ensure provision of appropriate care during the perinatal period. This chapter begins by providing an overview of the minority stress framework, a theoretical framework that is useful in understanding the mental health concerns of LGBT people. The chapter then discusses language and definitional issues, providing a brief glossary of key terms necessary for culturally competent work with LGBT people. Next an overview is provided in the ways in which LGBT people are forming families in contemporary society. The body of the chapter reviews existing literature on the transition to parenthood and perinatal mental health experiences of LGBT people and closes with some conclusions and future directions for research that follow from existing literature.

Key words: lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, parenting, perinatal, minority stress.

If you would like to know more about this book chapter, please e-mail Lori Ross at l.ross@utoronto.ca

Mothering on the Margins

Funded by CIHR, The Mothering on the Margins (MOMs) project was a research study carried out by researchers at the CAMH and the LGBTQ Parenting Network. One of the goals of this research was to learn more about what services LGBT mothers and mothers-to-be find helpful and what services they wish existing to addressed their emotional needs. Some some outcomes include:

• Baby makes three: Daily Xtra (published May 25, 2005)
• An academic article titled "Challenges and mental health experiences of lesbian and bisexual women who are in the process of trying to conceive". (Yager et al. 2010)
• An academic article titled "Lesbian and bisexual women's recommendations for improving the provision of assisted reproductive technology services" (Ross, Steele & Epstein, 2006)
• An academic article titled "Service use and gaps in services for lesbian and bisexual women during donor insemination, pregnancy and the postpartum period" (Ross, Steele & Epstein, 2006)

Transforming Family

Launched to respond to transphobic practices in fertility clinics and the legal system, this report aims to fill an important gap in knowledge by documenting the impact of transphobia on trans parents and drawing attention to the strengths that they bring to parenting.

Creating Our Families: A pilot study of the experiences of LGBT people accessing assisted human reproduction services in Ontario

Many LGBTQ people choose to parent. However, many LGBTQ people must rely on outside assistance to create their families, including use of assisted human reproduction (AHR) services. As a result, LGBTQ people make up a significant proportion of AHR service users in some parts of Canada. This study launched in 2010 to learn about their experiences with AHR services and to identify perceived barriers and supports to AHR service access for LGBTQ people. Some outcomes include:

• Reproductive Options for Trans People Fact Sheet
• An academic article titled "Sexual and gender minority peoples' recommendations for assisted human reproduction services" (Ross et al. 2014)
• Fact Sheet for AHR Service Providers (french version)
• A video series titled "Scenes from a Fertility Clinic"

The Mixed Methods International Research Association

The Mixed Methods International Research Association is an exciting new professional association created to promote the development of an international and interdisciplinary mixed-methods research community.

An account from the inside: Examining the emotional impact of qualitative research through the lens of "insider" research

The benefits and challenges of insider positionality have been much written about in relation to qualitative research. However, the specific emotional implications of insider research have been little explored. In the article, I aim to bring the literature on insider positionality to the study of emotion in qualitative research through a reflection on my experiences as a "total insider" conducting interviews for a longitudinal qualitative study examining mental health during the transition to parenthood among sexual minority women. On the basis of this experience, I highlight emotion-related benefits and challenges of my insider positionality, as they pertain both to the quality of the research and to my personal experiences as a qualitative researcher. In particular, I examine the potential benefits of my insider positioning for establishing rapport and my capacity for empathy, and the personal emotional growth and learning that my insider positioning made possible for me. With respect to challenges, I examine how my emotional investment in the researcher-participant relationship influenced my role as a research instrument, and discuss the difficulties I encountered in managing appropriately boundaried relationships and making decisions about self-disclosure. I close by highlighting promising avenues for further exploration of the emotional implications of insider research, from the perspectives of both researchers and participants.