Study Shows Gay-Straight Alliances in US Schools Help LGBT Youth

A new US study published in the current issue of Applied Developmental Science shows that LGBT youth who go to schools with gay-straight alliances (GSA)  have better mental health, are less likely to drop out of high school and more likely to attend college.

Published in the current issue of Applied Developmental Science, this is the first study to show that GSA participation is related to long-term benefits. The study,  ‘High School Gay–Straight Alliances (GSAs) and Young Adult Well-Being,’ is based on data from the Family Acceptance Project’s survey of LGBT young adults, which examined the school-related experiences of 245 LGBT young adults, ages 21 to 25.  The Family Acceptance Project (familyproject.sfsu.edu) is a research, education and policy group that is designed to improve the health, mental health, and well-being of LGBT children and adolescents.

Previous research has shown that LGBT youth are at risk of school bullying based on their sexual orientation and gender expression; that LGBT youth and young adults report higher levels of depression and other mental health problems than heterosexual peers;  and that LGBT school bullying is related to reduced academic achievement.

However, until now, there have been few indicators to show whether positive school-based supports can help prevent these negative outcomes in young adulthood.  This new study shows the positive impact of GSAs but it also shows that they are not enough on their own to overcome the negative impact of LGBT victimisation on young adult mental health. The authors conclude that Gay-Straight Alliances cannot be proposed as the sole solution for creating safer school climates for LGBT youth. Schools need to implement other efforts to reduce anti-LGBT bias in schools in combination with the formation of Gay-Straight Alliances, such as anti-harassment and non-discrimination policies, teacher training on how to intervene in school harassment related to sexual orientation and gender expression, and an LGBT-inclusive curriculum.

According to the Family Project Acceptance press release about the study, co-author Russell Toomey said: “Given the recent attention to tragic deaths by suicide related to anti-LGBT school bullying over the past year, our research documents that having Gay-Straight Alliances in schools is an important way to boost mental health and academic achievement for LGBT young people.

"However, Gay-Straight Alliances should not be perceived as the only vehicle for creating safer school climates for students – clearly, our findings document that other LGBT-positive supports need to be implemented in schools for LGBT students to thrive.”

Another co-author Stephen T. Russell said: “This study adds to the mounting evidence that youth-led clubs are important for healthy development – especially for youth at risk. For LGBT youth, high school gay-straight alliances make a significant positive difference.”