Document Type
Preprint
Publication Date
4-1-2022
Journal / Book Title
Journal of School Psychology
Abstract
The extant literature on suicide-related thoughts and behaviors (STB) has highlighted increased patterns of risk among specific minoritized populations, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, two spirit, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth. Compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers, LGBTQ+ youth are at increased risk for having STB. Identity-specific stressors such as homonegativity and anti-queerness are among the unique factors posited to contribute to this risk and inhibit factors that protect against suicide. The school setting has been a focal point for suicide prevention and intervention and may also play a key role in linking students to care; however, schools also hold the potential to provide supports and experiences that may buffer against risk factors for STB in LGBTQ+ students. This systematic literature review presents findings from 44 studies examining school-related correlates of STB in LGBTQ+ students, informing an ecological approach to suicide prevention for school settings. Findings underscore the importance of school context for preventing STB in LGBTQ+ youth. Approaches that prioritize safety and acceptance of LGBTQ+ youth should span multiple layers of a student's ecology, including district and state level policies and school programs and interventions, such as Gender and Sexuality Alliances and universal bullying prevention programs. Beyond their role as a primary access point for behavioral health services, schools offer a unique opportunity to support suicide prevention by combating minority stressors through promoting positive social relationships and a safe community for LGBTQ+ students.
DOI
10.1016/j.jsp.2021.11.006
MSU Digital Commons Citation
Marraccini, Marisa E.; Ingram, Katherine M.; Naser, Shereen C.; Grapin, Sally L.; Toole, Emily N.; O'Neill, J. Conor; Chin, Andrew J.; Martinez, Robert R.; and Griffin, Dana, "The roles of school in supporting LGBTQ+ youth: A systematic review and ecological framework for understanding risk for suicide-related thoughts and behaviors" (2022). Department of Psychology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 687.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/psychology-facpubs/687
Rights
HHS Pub lic Access Author manuscript J Sch Psychol. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2023 April 01. Published in final edited form as: J Sch Psychol. 2022 April ; 91: 27–49. doi:10.1016/j.jsp.2021.11.006.