The Importance of School Support on the Mental Health of LGBTQIA2S+ Youth in Québec : Policy Brief

LGBTQIA2S+ youth face unique stressors. Québec isfairly inclusive as the province has prohibited discrimination of gender identity and sexual orientation in section 10 of the Québec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and urges for sexuality education to be a part of school curriculum. Although the province’s efforts have likely provided some relief to LGBTQIA2S+ Québec youth, reports of bullying and lack of support remain significant, especially in rural regions. Homophobic discrimination is directly and indirectly related to well-being as it can lead to feelings of isolation, which in turn leads to poorer mental health (Blais et al., 2014; Garcia et al., 2020). This is especially true for rural towns across Québec as the lack of queer representation prompts homophobic remarks and leads queer youth to feel alone (Dicaire, 2021). Given the amount of time youth spend in high-school, support within these facilities is essential. Research demonstrates that support systems for LGBTQIA2S+ youth, as well as education about this community within high-schools, may better the mental health of queer youth. In the absence of these tools, their mental health may languish.