The Outcomes of Gender and Sexuality Alliances for LGBTQ+ Youth: A Scoping Review

Background and Purpose: LGBTQ+ youth are at heightened risk for violence and victimization, homelessness, and lack of familial and peer support—contributing to poorer mental and behavioral health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, as well as behaviors such as substance misuse and self-harm. Minority Stress Theory (Meyer, 2003) posits that identity-based stressors create the health disparities experienced by marginalized communities. Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs)—formerly called Gay/Straight Alliances—can protect against negative mental and behavioral health outcomes for LGBTQ+ youth. GSAs are clubs for LGBTQ+ students and allies with the goal to create ‘safe spaces’ in school settings. This scoping review searched for and synthesized current literature regarding outcomes GSAs can have for LGBTQ+ youth.

Methods: Research articles were identified from Academic Search Complete, APA PsychInfo, LGBTQ+ Source, and ERIC using the search terms: “LGBTQ youth” and “gay straight alliance in schools” and “outcomes or benefits or effects or impact or effectiveness or consequences”. The search did not limit any results based on a publication date range. In total, 46 articles were imported into Covidence for screening, 32 of which went to full-text review, and in total nine articles were included in the study. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was used for quality assessment and a data extraction tool was used to compile data for thematic analysis.

Results: Using MMAT for critical appraisal, four articles (44%) had appropriately rigorous studies with strong research questions, appropriate sampling, and measurements with low risk for bias. Further, four articles (44%) also scored 80% regarding methodological approach and rigor, and one article (11%) scored 60% regarding methodological approach and rigor. Regarding thematic analysis, five articles (55%) reported data regarding victimization and/or bullying. Four articles (44%) reported on school climate and environment, mental health disparities and help-seeking behaviors, perceived support from the community and social connectedness, and GSA presence and functioning. Two articles (22%) reported on school-related indices (i.e., grades and truancy), substance use, coming out and feelings of safety, resources provided by GSAs, and advocacy and social justice. One article (11%) reported on future voting plans. Thematic evidence supports GSAs lessening mental health disparities, increasing positive school outcomes, increasing social connectedness, and lessening victimization in queer youth.

Conclusions and Implications: Results suggest that GSAs provide protective factors for LGBTQ+ youth against mental health disparities, among other positive outcomes. GSAs are beneficial for all youth, promoting positive school climates, as well as improving school related indices (i.e., truancy, grades). Future studies on GSAs in different parts of the United States would result in a broader, and thus more generalizable, body of research. Such research would provide valuable data that could positively impact school systems who provide less access to GSAs or other clubs that provide a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth. Future studies should also focus on the mental health outcomes of keeping GSAs available to combat factors that negatively impact LGBTQ+ youths’ mental and behavioral health.