Empathy, Engagement, Empowerment - Strategies Supporting the Responsible Inclusion of 2SLGBTQIA+ Youth in Canadian Mental Health Movements


Victory Angeli, Dalhousie University

Many young Canadians struggle with their mental health, and these struggles can be severe. Suicide is a leading cause of death for people aged 15-25, and rates are higher for equity-deserving communities. 2SLGBTQIA+ youth are more likely to report poor mental health, and queer and trans youth are four times more likely to die by suicide than their cisgender and straight peers. Poor mental health for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth is attributable to experiences of homophobia, transphobia, and barriers to help-seeking. Despite this, public narratives that denigrate 2SLGBTQIA+ identities remain persistent in Canada. Non-governmental agencies and citizen-led social movements play a critical role in shaping public health discourse, services, and policy. Yet mental health movements struggle to incorporate 2SLGBTQIA+ youths into decision-making, and their absence has lingering effects. Mainstream mental health interventions appeal less to struggling 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, and those who seek services report fewer benefits than cis-straight peers. Social initiatives to uplift 2SLGBTQIA+ communities must engage queer and transgender youth as leaders, experts, and co-creators. What can adult allies and institutions do to empower 2SLGBTQIA+ youth? This presentation highlights findings from a Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review on youth empowerment in adult-led mental health advocacy efforts. The JBI method is an internationally recognised research framework, most applied to environmental scans and meta-analyses of health literature. The JBI review informing this presentation includes academic literature published since 2000 and accessible in English, made available across three databases (PsycInfo, SAGE, and Wiley). Victory Angeli (they/them) identifies themes of LGBTQ+ youth engagement in mental health service review, charity administration, and political networking. Three objectives are identified in organizations that responsibly engage LGBTQ+ youth: empathising with youth, engaging youth, and empowering queer and trans people. Adult allies are better able to serve 2SLGBTQIA+ youth when they receive ongoing cultural humility training. Introspection, candid discussions of intersectional social (dis)privilege, and recognition of past mistakes are promising practices. Adults can further engage 2SLGBTQIA+ youth by facilitating: 1) physically and psychologically accessible events; 2) knowledge translation workshops; and 3) formal political advocacy. Organisations who invite youth into internal meetings may further redistribute power to benefit 2SLGBTQIA+ voices, where quorums are set for 2SLGBTQIA+ participants and veto powers are distributed to equity-deserving members. Such themes are consistent across case studies featured in existing literature. Victory Angeli, the lead researcher, applies these findings to their own work as a queer, trans + non-binary youth advocate. They bring their findings to prominent Canadian mental health charities, among which they are recognised as a community advisor with 6+ years of leadership experience. Victory is consulted by non-profits including Kickstand, Foundry, and Jack.org, as a person with lived experience of mental health struggles, a member of equity-deserving groups, and an emerging social science researcher. This proposal is a part of Victory’s efforts to share evidence-based practices, and otherwise engage in knowledge translation, to uplift 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Civil initiatives to empower queer and trans youth in Canada are crucial to supporting 2SLGBTQIA+ communities. Institutions that share power with queer and trans youth are better able to meet 2SLGBTQIA+ needs, and to provide young leaders with resources that support systemic change. Efforts informing equitable mental health services are buffers against the ongoing discrimination facing queer and trans youth, and safeguards 2SLGBTQIA+ wellness.

This paper will be presented at the following session: