Trends and Disparities in School-Based Mental Health Among LGB and Heterosexual Students

• In Event: Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: Student Well-Being

Abstract

School-based mental health issues – such as internalization (e.g., depression, self-esteem) and externalization (e.g., self-harm, forgoing mental health services) – affect a substantial number of students in North America and are linked to poor academic performance. The prevalence of these school-based mental health issues is higher for lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) students compared to their heterosexual counterparts. We traced the trends and disparities of mental health issues among school populations from British Columbia, Canada and found that certain gaps in mental health issues between LGB and heterosexual students have widened, others have narrowed, and there are differences by gender as well as sexual orientation. These findings have implications for promoting LGB-conscious school-based interventions throughout North America.

Authors

• Timothy Robert McKay, University of Connecticut - Storrs

• Ryan J Watson, University of British Columbia