The impact of LGBTQ-inclusive practices on student suicidality in New Mexico high schools

Sexually and gender diverse (SGD) youth experience suicidality at high rates compared to their cisgender and heterosexual peers. This study sought to investigate the impact on SGD youth suicidality of schools' implementation of policies and practices designed ameliorate disparities experienced by SGD youth. With data pooled from the 2017 and 2019 New Mexico Youth Risk and Resiliency Survey and School Health Profiles (N=22,993), this study used hierarchical linear modeling to examine the impact of 4 strategies recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on suicidality among lesbian/gay, bisexual, questioning, and transgender/gender-diverse students. Attending a school with a genders and sexualities alliance (GSA) was associated with lower odds of reporting suicidal thoughts (aOR 0.70, SE=0.18, p<0.05) and suicide attempt(s) (aOR=0.73, SE=0.15, p<0.05) among questioning youth. No other significant relationships were found. This study substantiated the positive impact of GSAs, particularly for questioning youth, but largely failed to replicate the evidence base on school-level determinants of SGD health. This study illuminates the need to ensure accuracy of data collection on SGD-inclusive practices and to educate school leaders about the importance of reliable data collection on explicitly SGD-inclusive policies and practices for promoting health equity for SGD youth.