The Association Between Supportive High School Environments and Depressive Symptoms and Suicidality Among Sexual Minority Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if sexual minority students in supportive school environments experienced fewer depressive symptoms and lower rates of suicide ideation, plans and attempts ("suicidality") than sexual minority students in less supportive school environments. In 2007, a nationally representative sample (N = 9,056) of students from 96 high schools in New Zealand used Internet tablets to complete a health and well-being survey that included questions on sexual attractions, depressive symptoms, and suicidality. Students reported their experience of supportive environments at school and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (GLBT) bullying, and these items were aggregated to the school level. Teachers (n = 2,901) from participating schools completed questionnaires on aspects of school climate, which included how supportive their schools were toward sexual minority students. Multilevel models were used to estimate school effects on depressive symptoms and suicidality controlling for background characteristics of students. Sexual minority students were more likely to report higher levels of depressive symptoms and suicidality than their opposite-sex attracted peers (p < .001). Teacher reports of more supportive school environments for GLBT students were associated with fewer depressive symptoms among male sexual minority students (p = .006) but not for female sexual minority students (p = .09). Likewise in schools where students reported a more supportive school environment, male sexual minority students reported fewer depressive symptoms (p = .006) and less suicidality (p < .001) than in schools where students reported less favorable school climates. These results suggest that schools play an important role in providing safe and supportive environments for male sexual minority students.

LGBTIQA+ Learners in New Zealand Schools

“…Forty percent of transgender students reported feelings of depression and suicide. These feelings were also reported by students in other studies, with Denny et al (2016) hypothesising early in their study that they would find a relationship between non heterosexual students, suicidal thoughts and depression.…”

“…These researchers, who comprised a range of academics from psychology, paediatrics and education, also hypothesised that their study would reveal both supportive and non-supportive school environments for heterosexual, bisexual and homosexual students (Denny et al, 2016). They used data from 2007 to identify suicide, depressive thoughts and bullying in non-heterosexual students.…”

Mental Health Status of Double Minority Adolescents: Findings from National Cross-Sectional Health Surveys

“…Sexual minority young people (i.e. youth who are not exclusively opposite-sex attracted) form approximately between 2.3% and 15.5% of the youth population 4 . Less is known about gender minority young people.…”

“…heterosexuality is the only 'normal' or acceptable sexual orientation) and cis-normative (i.e. the assumption that all people are cisgender and/or should be cisgender) challenging environments and discrimination 4,5,9,10 .…”

On the Periphery or at the Centre?: Ideas for improving the physical and interpersonal environments for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, and Trans-sexual/gender students at a NZ Secondary School

“…Hence there is value in continuing to engage in pedagogical discussions, sharing as a collective group what responses are most effective, and for all to know the long term harm bullying causes (Higdon, 2011). Research both in New Zealand and overseas discusses the value of taking a whole-school approach (Denny, et al, 2014). It is argued here, that such an approach must encapsulate the physical environment and the messages contained within it, as well as the interpersonal environment.…”