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Citation
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Eisenberg ME, Lawrence SE, Eadeh HM, Suresh M, Rider GN, Gower AL. Pediatrics 2024; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Abstract
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OBJECTIVES: To apply an intersectional lens to disparities in emotional distress among youth, including multiple social positions and experiences with bias-based bullying.
METHODS: Data are from the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey (n = 80 456). Social positions (race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender) and 2 forms of bias-based bullying (racist, homophobic or transphobic) were entered into decision tree models for depression, anxiety, self-injury, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts. Groups with the highest prevalence are described. Rates of emotional distress among youth with matching social positions but no bias-based bullying are described for comparison.
RESULTS: LGBQ identities (90%) and transgender, gender diverse, and questioning identities (54%) were common among the highest-prevalence groups for emotional distress, often concurrently; racial and ethnic identities rarely emerged. Bias-based bullying characterized 82% of the highest-prevalence groups. In comparable groups without bias-based bullying, emotional distress rates were 20% to 60% lower (average 38.8%).
CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight bias-based bullying as an important point for the intervention and mitigation of mental health disparities, particularly among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender-diverse, queer, and questioning adolescents.
RESULTS point to the importance of addressing bias-based bullying in schools and supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender-diverse, queer, and questioning students at the systemic level as a way of preventing emotional distress.
Language: en |