Grant: Doctoral: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

LGBTQ youth experience health inequities as compared to their heterosexual and gender normative peers, including increased risks related to mental health, suicidality, substance abuse, and exposure to violence, abuse, harassment and injuries. Homophobia and school connectedness have been identified as important factors in LGBTQ youth health, and Canadian schools address these issues through a variety programming and policy. However, the effectiveness of school-based population health interventions on addressing the health inequities faced by LGBTQ youth is a largely underdeveloped area of research. The objective of this investigation is to compare the effectiveness of arts-involved and non-arts-involved strategies in reducing homophobia and increasing school connectedness, and to learn from youth perspectives about attributes that make specific interventions more effective or less effective. This study will be conducted in secondary schools where interventions are implemented to address homophobia and school connectedness. This evaluation will compare both changes over time within each program and the amount of change between arts-involved and non-arts-involved programs. Youth will be surveyed pre- and post-intervention, and again two months following program completion. Follow-up interviews of youth participants will be conducted to capture how these types of interventions work to reduce homophobia and increase school connectedness. The results of this research will serve to assist school personnel and other youth service providers in decision-making around the design, implementation and evaluation of school-based interventions to address LGBTQ youth health inequities, leading to improved health outcomes for marginalized youth.