Mental health: what can neuro and gender divergent people tell us about their school experiences and what can be done to support them.

Abstract

Belonging to a minority group has long been known to impact young people’s mental health, identity development, sense of belonging, and experiences within school. Whilst there is some research around this, being at the intersection of multiple minority identities and how this impacts an individual’s lived experience, identity development, and mental health is not yet well researched. Thus this thesis comprises two separate, but related papers that explore the lived experiences of intersectionality (the point at which multiple systems of inequality or minoritisation meet to create unique, overlapping impacts for individuals), The first is a systematic literature that aimed to collate existing research in the endeavour to answer the question: ‘How do children and young people from multiple minority groups experience and navigate identity development?’. Ten studies were included in this review and were thematically synthesised. Three analytical themes were developed that indicated that being from multiple minority groups impacts how people navigate and experience identity development in several ways. Participants experienced pressure to mask and fit in, confusion around identity, and a need to reject and reframe the perceptions of others to be able to live authentically. The second study was an empirical piece of research that employed unstructured interviews and a focus group with twelve individuals between the ages of 16-19 who identified as both neurodivergent and gender divergent in an attempt to answer the question: ‘Mental health: What can those identifying as gender divergent and neurodivergent tell us about their school experience and how schools can support them?’ Through the process of reflexive thematic analysis, four themes were developed. Participants acknowledged that their school experiences were turbulent, but that was not because of their divergent identities, it was because of the way others treated them given their identities. Participants did not feel understood and, in turn, did not receive enough consistent and appropriate support, which negatively impacted mental health. However, participants also noted that understanding teachers, bespoke support, and representation all improved their mental health at school. Implications for educational professionals are also discussed.

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