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ViewAttendees 2

Symposia

Mental Health Disparities

Synthesizing Stigma Research: Leveraging Systematic Review as a Tool to Identify and Address Mental Health Disparities

4 - (SYM 131) Systematic Review: Best Practices for Supporting Transgender Youth in Schools

Sunday, November 17, 2024
10:30 AM – 12:00 PM EST
Location: Franklin 9, Level 4, Downtown Marriott
Abstract Body


Background: Transgender youth experience considerable mental health disparities largely attributable to victimization and discrimination at school. Accordingly, it is critical to increase mental health support for transgender students in schools. Yet, few resources or trainings exist to provide school staff with the principles and skills needed to support these students. To address this gap, we conducted a systematic review to identify and synthesize a list of best practices for supporting transgender youth in schools.


Methods: We followed PRISMA guidelines to search APA PsycINFO, ERIC, and Scopus for peer-reviewed journal articles and gray literature published in English between 2010 and 2024. Papers were screened for eligibility and coded for empirically, clinically, and community supported principles and skills linked to positive mental health outcomes for transgender youth that could be implemented in schools.


Results: Of 5,648 records screened, 38 were included in our review. We identified 21 principles and 22 skills representing best practices for supporting transgender youth in schools. These principles and skills were categorized into 5 domains: (1) understanding the benefits of supporting transgender students (e.g., reducing stigma), (2) language to use and avoid (e.g., apologizing after misgendering), (3) coming out at school (e.g., protecting privacy), (4) creating a supportive environment (e.g., facilitating bathroom access), and (5) addressing bullying.


Conclusions: The best practices for supporting transgender youth in schools identified in this systematic review are not only associated with positive mental health outcomes but are also relatively easy to implement (i.e., requiring minimal training) and disseminate (i.e., employing concise, accessible language). Efforts to enhance the dissemination and implementation of these practices at scale can help to address mental health inequities faced by transgender youth.