Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Date of Graduation
8-9-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Educational Specialist (EdS)
Department
Department of Graduate Psychology
Advisor(s)
Tammy Gilligan
Debi Kipps-Vaughn
Renne Staton
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the use of online resources for support in SGM youth with the goal of informing the potential use of these supports as tools for suicide prevention in this population. Six students from a high school in a large school district in Southern New Hampshire who identify as LGBTQ+ participated in a focus group exploring what their lived experiences are in the context of using online spaces for support, as presented using a socio-ecological model. Qualitative data from the focus group session was analyzed using thematic analysis and eight themes emerged from the discussion: online spaces are two-sided, there is a learning curve when using online spaces, experiential knowledge is found in online spaces, positive connections are made in online spaces, online spaces help fill gaps in information and representation, online spaces lack methods of security, there are gaps in mental health supports in online spaces, and there is a lack of reliable information on online spaces. These themes can provide a framework for developing tools that utilize online spaces to better support LGBTQ+ adolescents.
Recommended Citation
Hassan, Courtney, "Exploring sexual- and gender-minority adolescent's use of online spaces as a potential socio-ecological protective factor" (2024). Educational Specialist, 2020-current. 81.
https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/edspec202029/81
