Mental Health Service Delivery to Sexual Minority and Gender Non-Conforming Students in Schools: A Winnicottian Approach

Abstract

Current research highlights the increased risk factors that sexual minority (lesbian, gay, bisexual) and gender minority (transgender/gender non-conforming) students face as compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. These risk factors include higher rates of depression, suicide, substance use, school dropout, sexually transmitted infections, experiences with bullying on school campuses and increased risk of homelessness. Although this research has aided our understanding of the needs and risks of this population of youth, few articles have emerged from these data which offer a comprehensive theoretical approach to work clinically with these adolescents in school-based settings. This article explores how school mental health staff can address the behavioural health needs of sexual and gender minority students through the adoption of a Winnicottian theoretical approach. With an intensive focus on academic achievement, schools have historically been limited in their usage of evidence-based data to create programs which adequately address the mental health needs of student populations on their campuses. Yet, sexual and gender minority students are likely to be present in almost every school in the country. Schools can serve as gateways to mental health access and can offer innovative and culturally responsive practices across racial, ethnic, class, and geographic lines. As the single largest holders of the student population in the United States, schools have the ability to play a significant role in mental health service provision for sexual and gender minority youth.