Associations of adult support inside and outside of school with psychological distress among nonheterosexually identified youth

Background/Purpose: In 2010, the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey was completed by 23,187 high school students, including 1,681 who did not self-identify as heterosexual. This large sample provides data on relationships between known risks, like bullying victimization and psychological distress, and potential protective factors, like perceptions of adult support inside and outside school.

Methods: Surveys were conducted with a census of students in 24 schools in MetroWest Boston. 92.6% self-identified as heterosexual, and 7.4% were categorized as nonheterosexually identified youth (NHY; gay/lesbian, bisexual, other, or unsure). Survey items assessed 12-month cyberbullying and school bullying victimization; 12-month depressive symptoms and suicide attempts; and adult support inside and outside school. Regression analyses controlled for sociodemographics and victimization.

Findings: NHY are significantly more likely than heterosexual youth to report school bullying victimization (42.7% versus 27.0%), cyberbullying victimization (35.4% versus 18.7%), depressive symptoms (41.5% versus 17.3%), and suicide attempts (16.6% versus 2.9%). NHY are slightly more likely than heterosexual youth to lack adult support at school (37.2% versus 32.6%) and twice as likely to lack adult support outside school (22.6% versus 11.1%). Among NHY, having adult support at school is not protective against psychological distress in adjusted analyses. However, lacking adult support outside school is significantly related to increased reports of depressive symptoms and suicide attempts (2.0 and 1.8 times higher, respectively).

Conclusions: NHY are more likely than heterosexual youth to lack adult support outside school, placing them at greater risk of psychological distress. Prevention programs should strengthen family and non-family support networks for NHY.