School-level mental health protective and promotive factors for sexual and gender minority youth: A systematic review
- Forfatter(e)
- Xu, Y., Chiang, P. C., Scott, M., Gao, Y., Xu, J., Yang, Y., Hall, W. J., Espelage, D. L.
- År
- 2026
- Tidsskrift
- Journal of School Psychology
- Volum
- 116
- Sider
- 101546
- Kategori(er)
- Angst og engstelighet (inkl. både vansker og lidelse) Depresjon og nedstemthet (inkl. både vansker og lidelse) Selvskading/selvmord Livskvalitet og trivsel LHBT+
- Tiltakstype(r)
- Skole/barnehagebaserte tiltak
- Abstract
Sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) face elevated mental health risks compared to their cisgender and heterosexual peers. However, insights from Minority Stress Theory (MST) and prevention science suggest that school-level factors may serve as buffers against the elevated mental health risks faced by SGMY. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review to examine school-level factors that mitigate risks or promote mental health among SGMY. Following the PRISMA protocol, we searched the literature published from 2000 to 2024 using PsycINFO, ERIC, CINAHL, PubMed, and Scopus. Thirty-six quantitative studies and one qualitative study met the inclusion criteria. Guided by MST and the social-ecological framework, we delineated 10 categories of school-level general and SGM-specific factors. Results highlight the important roles of SGM-inclusive resources, policies, GSA effectiveness, SGM-affirming climate, school connectedness, and social support in schools. This study provides actionable insights for educators, policymakers, and researchers to promote better school environments and develop and implement prevention and intervention strategies to reduce mental health risks and promote well-being among SGMY.