The Elephant in the GSA: Associations Between Discussions of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election and Mental Health Outcomes in Gender-Sexuality Alliances
Publication Date
1-1-2022
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
Youth and Society
DOI
10.1177/0044118X221099049
Abstract
The 2016 U.S. Presidential election led to a rise in mental health concerns among marginalized youth. We consider how LGBTQ+ and ally youth responded in Gender-Sexuality Alliances (GSAs). In this secondary analysis, we used survey data to assess for associations between frequency of discussions of the election in GSAs and mental health outcomes. We found that youth in GSAs that discussed the election and its sequelae more frequently reported lower depressive symptoms at the end of the year, but this association held true only for White youth and not racial/ethnic minority youth and only in the 2016 to 2017 academic year and not the 2017 to 2018 academic year. Implications are discussed.
Funding Number
R01MD009458
Funding Sponsor
National Institutes of Health
Keywords
discrimination, extracurricular activity, mental health, peer support, political behavior
Department
Child and Adolescent Development
Recommended Citation
Michael D. O’Brien, Robert A. Marx, Jerel P. Calzo, V. Paul Poteat, and Christopher J. Ceccolini. "The Elephant in the GSA: Associations Between Discussions of the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election and Mental Health Outcomes in Gender-Sexuality Alliances" Youth and Society (2022). https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X221099049
