Abstract
Students from sexual minorities generally describe Higher Education contexts as unwelcoming and chilly environments. Based on the Minority Stress theory, these disparities in climate perceptions may lead sexual minority students to negative health and academic outcomes. To date, research documenting the experience of sexual minority students within European Higher Education Institutions is limited. Framed within campus climate literature, the current study aimed to expand on previous knowledge by investigating the associations between sexual minority status, students’ perceptions of campus climate and psychological (i.e., anxiety–depression), and academic outcomes (i.e., intellectual and academic success and considering leaving the university) using a self-selected sample of 868 Italian university students (17.9% sexual minority students). The results showed that sexual minority status was associated with negative perceptions of campus climate, which, in turn, were associated with higher levels of anxiety–depression symptoms, lowered academic success, and a high probability of considering leaving university. Further research is needed to investigate the experience of sexual minority students within European Higher Education contexts and to explore possible actions that could contribute to fostering a greater sense of belonging to the campus community for all students, and particularly for students from sexual minority groups.
Highlights
Sexual minorities are a group whose sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or expression differ from the heteronormative ones [1]
Using a sample of Italian Higher Education students, the current study aimed to examine how students from sexual minority groups experience campus climate, compared to non-sexual minority students, and how these perceptions are associated with mental health problems, and academic outcomes
This study aims to expand on previous knowledge by investigating the associations between sexual minority status, students’ perceptions of campus climate, and psychological and academic outcomes using a sample of Italian university students (Figure 1)
Summary
Sexual minorities are a group whose sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or expression differ from the heteronormative ones [1]. In Higher Education contexts, sexual minority students often face unique challenges. This has been well documented in a consistent body of large national studies carried out in the United States (US) [2]. Most of these studies showed sexual minorities as the least accepted groups when compared with other under-served populations and, more likely to report deleterious experiences and unwelcoming campus climates based on sexual and gender identity. Students who identify as homosexual, bisexual, or gender diverse, may encounter the additional stress related to being part of a sexual minority group, as it has been theorized within the Minority Stress framework [3], that could lead them to several negative outcomes
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