Supportive school environments as protective factors for psychological wellbeing in transgender secondary school students in Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

Young people in Aotearoa New Zealand face a mental health crisis, and this is especially dire for transgender and gender diverse youth, who are at significant risk of suicide. It is well established that trans youth experience high levels of bullying and discrimination, especially in schools, however comprehensive understandings of how social supports within school environments can buffer the effects of victimisation are less understood. This study aimed to investigate how social elements within secondary schools, such as safety, belonging, and teacher and classmate support, predict mental health difficulties in transgender students. Quantitative data drawn from 294 secondary school student participants from the 2022 wave of the Counting Ourselves survey was analysed using univariate analysis and logistic regressions. This study found that 90.1% of participants reported high or very high levels of psychological distress, 72.4% had engaged in NSSI, and 61.6% seriously considered committing suicide in the last 12 months. However, social supports within schools appeared to have a protective effect on student’s mental wellbeing. School safety was a significant protective factor all three mental health outcomes, and belonging and supportive classmates and adults were protective across analyses. These findings align with previous research that recommends that trans-inclusive policies in schools help trans students feel safe and accepted by their peers, which in turn can foster wellbeing. This study goes further by finding significant associations between school support and psychological outcomes. Overall, this emphasises the demand for inclusive school environments for transgender students and highlights the importance of social safety for marginalised groups.