Advocacy by LGBTQ+ school clubs may help combat student depression: Research

A new study suggests that student-led Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) clubs may be able to lessen the differences between LGBTQ+ and heterosexual students' depressive symptoms across the entire school

The research which was released today in the Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, indicates that schools with GSAs (also known as Gay-Straight Alliances) who take part in more advocacy to raise awareness of issues affecting LGBTQ+ students can aid in promoting well-being among LGBTQ+ youth throughout the larger school population.       

"Discrimination is a major contributor to depression among LGBTQ+ youth. GSAs provide an affirming space in schools for LGBTQ+ youth to access support and work collectively against discrimination that they face," said lead author, Dr Paul Poteat, Professor of Counseling, Developmental, and Educational Psychology at Boston College.

"Our results suggest that GSA-led advocacy efforts to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ students' experiences and to address discrimination have the potential to reduce disparities in the depression between LGBQ students and heterosexual students in the general school population," he said.

GSAs are now in an estimated 44 per cent of middle schools and high schools across the United States. They are student-led school clubs that aim to provide a space to socialize, access social-emotional support from peers, and advocate for students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and with other sexual orientations and gender identities (LGBTQ+). GSA advocacy activities often seek to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and counteract bullying and discrimination within the school.

This study included 1,362 students from 23 secondary schools across Massachusetts who attended schools with GSAs but who were not members of the GSA - 89 per cent of whom identified as heterosexual and 11 per cent as LGBQ+. Participants reported their depressive symptoms at the beginning and the end of the school year - and separately, GSA members reported on their group's advocacy efforts over the school year.

The researchers found that:

LGBQ+ youth reported higher depressive symptoms than heterosexual students at the start of the school year.

Depression disparities between LGBQ+ students and heterosexual students were smaller at the end of the school year for students in schools whose GSAs had engaged in more advocacy over the year.

These effects tied to GSA advocacy were still present even after accounting for students' initial depressive symptoms and several other known contributors to youth mental health.

"Our findings further underscore the value of GSAs to promote the well-being of LGBQ+ students - suggesting these groups are a key school-based resource for addressing the mental health needs of this group," added co-author Dr Hirokazu Yoshikawa, Professor from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, at New York University.

"GSA advocacy is outward facing and includes efforts to counteract discrimination and bias in schools -- factors that often underlie depressive symptoms in LGBTQ+ youth - which could help to explain why its benefits appear to extend beyond those students who actively participate in these groups," added Yoshikawa.

The authors highlight certain limitations of this study, including a lack of consideration of other school policies and practices such as anti-bullying policies or staff development. Similarly, they were unable to include the involvement of participants in other advocacy activities across the school. Additional research would be needed to consider whether these findings are applicable outside of Massachusetts, as GSA activity and its benefits may vary depending on broader factors, such as the socio-political context of the school's location.

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