A Review of Psychosocial Protective and Risk Factors for the Mental Well-Being of Rural LGBTQ+ Adolescents

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning/queer, and other gender diverse (LGBTQ+) adolescents face daunting hardships within the rural contexts they navigate (e.g., community, school), and these onerous demands make it difficult for them to maintain optimal mental well-being. This scoping review described the psychosocial protective and risk factors that shape mental well-being for rural LGBTQ+ adolescents and identified the mental health issues commonly reported by them. About 30 articles published between 2005 and 2020 were examined. A myriad of factors indicated protection of or risks to LGBTQ+ rural adolescents’ mental well-being through the social-ecological levels: individual (e.g., pressure to conform to gender norms, sexual exploration, coming out), interpersonal (e.g., connectedness, fear of rejection, religious beliefs), institutional/school (e.g., bullying victimization, social exclusion, peer/teacher intervention), and rural community (e.g., community size, local ties, social isolation). More research is needed to better understand and address rural mental health disparities for this vulnerable group.

The Role of Protective Factors in Moderating the Association Between Racism and Suicidal Ideation or Depression Among Rural Black Youth: A Scoping Review

“…A variation of Bronfenbrenner's (1977) social-ecological theory developed by McLeroy et al (1988) guided this scoping review (Elliott et al, 2022). The social-ecological theory posits that the interactions between an individual and the multi-layered contexts the individual is embedded within are bidirectional and reciprocal (Bronfenbrenner, 2005;Hickey et al, 2012).…”

Effectiveness of Social Inclusion Interventions for Anxiety and Depression among Adolescents: A Systematic Review

“…There is, however, growing evidence that social determinants, including poverty, discrimination, and marginalisation, have a profoundly deleterious impact on mental health [19][20][21][22], including among adolescents [23][24][25]. Reducing discrimination and marginalisation by promoting social inclusion may thus be important for reducing adolescent depression and anxiety, particularly for adolescents who experience social exclusion, including, for instance, LQBTQ+ youth, refugees, and adolescents with disabilities [26][27][28].…”