LGBTQ+ student groups help boost mental healthhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/lgbtq-student-groups-help-boost-mental-health/ar-AA17Lf83?cvid=452e5c23c4404bbfb2104bcd5220481fStory by Alan Mozes (HealthDay Reporter)
About 44% of U.S. middle and high schools have student-run clubs that shine a light on issues that touch the lives of LGBTQ+ students.
And new research suggests that depression risk among LGBTQ+ students is considerably lower in those schools where such Gender-Sexuality Alliances, similar to Gay-Straight Alliances, are present and relatively active.
"Depression is one of the foremost health concerns among LGBTQ+ youth," said lead author V. Paul Poteat, a professor in the department of counseling, developmental and educational psychology at Boston College.
"While risk of depression has tended to range from 8% to 17% in the general adolescent population, it has ranged from 18% to 23% among LGBQ+ youth," he noted.
GSAs are school clubs that provide a welcoming space for LGBTQ+ teens and their heterosexual cisgender peers to socialize, support one another and learn about LGBTQ+ issues.
Typically meeting once a week or every other week for up to an hour -- either during or after school -- GSAs sometimes also advocate for protective and inclusive policies for LGBTQ+ youth, Poteat explained, promoting inclusion and visibility along with socializing and event-planning.
He said his team wanted to see whether advocacy work could reduce depressive symptoms by helping lower the risk for loneliness, fearfulness or hopelessness among LGBTQ+ teens.
