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

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 re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Youth & Society 2022-03, Vol.54 (2), p.312-341
Main Authors: Elliott, Kayla J., Stacciarini, Jeanne-Marie R., Jimenez, Isidro A., Rangel, Andrea P., Fanfan, Dany
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
At Risk Persons
Bisexuality
Bullying
Coming out
Community size
Depression (Psychology)
Educational Environment
Environmental Influences
Gender
Gender roles
Health Behavior
Health disparities
Individual Characteristics
Interpersonal Relationship
Lesbianism
LGBTQ People
Mental Disorders
Mental Health
Psychosocial factors
Quality of Life
Religious beliefs
Resilience (Psychology)
Risk factors
Rural Areas
Rural communities
Self Destructive Behavior
Sexual orientation
Sexuality
Social exclusion
Social Influences
Social isolation
Substance Abuse
Suicide
Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
Teachers
Teenagers
Transgender persons
Victimization
Well Being
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0044-118X
1552-8499
DOI:10.1177/0044118X211035944