School Climate and Student Mental Health: Conceptions and Experiences of Nonbinary Students

Anti-transgender school policies have proliferated in the United States from 2019 to 2024, impacting school climate for transgender and nonbinary learners. In this quantitative study, we examined differences in the experiences of school climate factors (e.g., safety, mattering, mental health outcomes, etc.) between male, female, and nonbinary high school students in Virginia ( N = 219,233) using a gender minority stress framework. Nonbinary students reported greater exposure to distal and proximal minority stressors and worse mental health outcomes than male or female students. We explore implications for school counselors.