GSA Advocacy Predicts Reduced Depression Disparities Between LGBQ+ and Heterosexual Youth in Schools.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Depression disparities between heterosexual youth and lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, and other non-heterosexual (LGBQ+) youth are robust and linked to discrimination in schools. Advocacy by school-based Gender-Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) to raise awareness of LGBQ+ issues and to counteract discrimination may reduce these disparities within schools, yet has not been investigated schoolwide. We considered whether GSA advocacy over the school year moderated sexual orientation differences in depressive symptoms at the school year's end for students in the general school population (i.e., students who were not members of the GSA).

Method

Participants were 1,362 students (M_age = 15.68; 89% heterosexual; 52.6% female; 72.2% White) in 23 Massachusetts secondary s

SUBMITTER: Poteat VP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10439977 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature