Gender-Diverse Youth Perceptions of School Connectedness, Social Support, and Future Orientation

Purpose: For adolescents of all gender identities, social support and school connectedness can lead to improvements in mental health, and future orientation (having hopes and goals for the future) can be a protective factor from daily stress and traumatic events. This study used school-based surveys to examine variation in youth perceptions of school connectedness, social support, and future orientation by gender identity and time. Methods: Surveys were distributed in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania through the Healthy Allegheny Teens Survey program. Demographics including gender identity and sex assigned at birth via a two-step question, age, and race/ethnicity, were assessed. School connectedness, social support, and future orientation were measured using items adapted from validated scales. Results: In 2018, 3,157 youth (9.2% gender-diverse youth [GDY]) responded to relevant survey items, and 2,351 responded in 2023 (8.3% GDY). Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine associations between gender identity and each protective factor. When compared to cisgender boys, youth of multiple gender identities were statistically less likely to report positive school connectedness, social support, and future orientation in both 2018 and 2023. Discussion: Youth in our sample reported similar levels of school connectedness and social support in 2018 and 2023; however, multiple groups of GDY were statistically less likely to report positive school support and social connection in both studied years. Additionally, future orientation was consistently lower for GDY compared to cisgender youth in both years. Together, these findings have important implications regarding efforts to support the mental health and well-being of GDY.