School Adults as Allies: Examining Impact on Wellbeing and School Belonging of 2SLGBTQ+

Saria James-Thomas (2024-25)

Abstract

Objective: This study explored how connectedness with a supportive adult at school impacts mental health, wellbeing, flourishing, and school belonging in gender minority adolescents, compared to cisgender, sexual minority and cisgender, heterosexual adolescents, to better understand the role of school adult support as a protective factor for gender minority youth.

Methods: This study analyzed archival data from the All Our Families (AOF) cohort, using a sample of 1,214 youth. Anxiety and depression were measured using the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Third Edition (BASC-3). Wellbeing and school belonging were assessed with the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI), and flourishing was measured using Ryff’s Psychological Well-Being Scale. Associations between connectedness with a supportive adult at school and each outcome were examined using regression analyses. A Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) assessed the relationship between gender/sexual identity and the outcomes, and moderation analyses explored interactions between gender/sexual identity and adult connectedness for each outcome.

Results: Higher connectedness with a supportive adult at school was associated with fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression, and greater wellbeing, flourishing, and school belonging for all youth. Connectedness with a supportive school adult did not significantly moderate the relationship between sexual/gender identity and outcomes.

Conclusion: This study provides us with a more nuanced understanding of the needs of youth in different subgroups of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. The findings highlight that overall, connectedness with a supportive school adult has benefits for youth, but this sole relationship may not be enough to protect transgender and gender diverse youth from negative mental health outcomes.