Reparative Therapy: The Adolescent, the Psych Nurse, and the Issues

TOPIC: Reparative therapy aims to modify the sexual orientation of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people into that of heterosexuals. Although denounced as harmful by most professional organizations, these treatments continue—youth may be particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences. PURPOSE: The purpose of this article is to discuss reparative therapies, the potential harm LGB youth may experience, clinical and practice issues for psychiatric nurses, and the ethical issues surrounding nurse involvement in reparative therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Reparative therapy for adolescents raises important clinical and ethical issues for psychiatric nursing. Further discussion of nurse involvement in these treatments is needed.