A recent study conducted by researchers at San Francisco State University shows that the reaction of the family to the gay relations of a youth affects his mental health. It was found that the youth who got a negative reaction from their family members were more prone to drugs, depression and suicide.

According to the researchers, a bit of support and acceptance from the family could help in restoring the mental health of the homosexuals.

The lead researcher Ryan and her colleagues interviewed 53 families of gay teenagers. The aim was to identify 106 specific behaviors that could be considered "accepting" or "rejecting. In the next stage, they surveyed 224 white and Latino gay people between ages 21 and 25 to ascertain the response and behavior of the family towards them. In the third stage of the research, the researchers matched the responses of the homosexuals' family and their leanings towards drugs, depression and suicide.

Sten Vermund, a Vanderbilt University pediatrician opines that most of the families who have gay youth respond very negatively to their relationship and often end up being over- strict with them. Such families also question the relationship of the child and threaten him/ of being knocked out of the family. This leads to a worse situation for the youth.