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Despite a strong body of evidence demonstrating the importance of school belonging across multiple measures of wellbeing and academic outcomes, many students still do not feel a sense of belonging to their school. Moreover, school closures caused by COVID-19 lockdowns have exacerbated challenges for developing a student's sense of school belonging. The current study used closed- and open-ended survey questions to explore student perspectives of practices influencing belonging in a sample of 184 Australian secondary school students. Thematic analysis of student responses to open-ended survey questions yielded four themes related to teacher-level practices influencing student belonging: emotional support, support for learning, social connection, and respect, inclusion and diversity. The implications of these findings are discussed, and strategies are suggested for implementing these student-identified practices.

This paper aims to summarise peer-reviewed literature into the mental health of transgender young people within a secondary schooling environment. A scoping review was conducted using literature across four databases. The search was limited to English language peer-reviewed articles that reported upon the association between school factors and the mental health outcomes of transgender young people in secondary schools. The review resulted in seven relevant studies, which reported numerous school factors related to mental health outcomes for transgender young people. The factors that related to mental health of transgender young people in schools include peer victimisation and bullying, perceived safety and a sense of school belonging or connectedness. Clinical and practical implications are provided for policy makers, educational institutions and school mental healthcare professionals. It is recommended that future research is needed to investigate the mental health services provided within the schooling environment.

Unlike adoption and donor-assisted reproduction, misattributed paternity occurring within the context of spontaneous conception and outside of formally recognised practices of having a child remains largely an understudied phenomenon. Despite being an age-old phenomenon affecting a substantial population, the psychosocial consequences of disclosing and discovering misattributed paternity continue to lack empirical understanding. The current paper delineates misattributed paternity from other paternal discrepancies and reviews the limited body of scholarly arguments regarding the potential psychosocial consequences of disclosure/non-disclosure for individuals with paternal discrepancy. Four major categories of pro- and anti-disclosure arguments have been identified and reviewed: arguments concerned with potential disclosure/non-disclosure consequences for the child; for the parents; for the child-parent relationship and for the family unit. The review highlights the dearth of empirical knowledge on the psychosocial consequences of misattributed paternity and advocates a more nuanced exploration of this phenomenon and the need for specialist support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This Prisma-compliant review summarises the intersections of faith, grief, and sexes, or sexualities. Following the protocol, the authors searched 11 electronic databases and three publisher collections. The search was limited to empirical research published in English between 1980 and July 2020 that explored the impact of faith, religion, or spirituality on the grief experiences of sexually diverse individuals. After reviewing abstracts and full texts, from a total of 5,670 papers, five met the selection criteria and were systematically reviewed and quality assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. Thematic analysis found that rituals and rites of passage were seen to assist the sexually diverse bereaved in maintaining valuable connections with the deceased, accepting the finality of the loss, accessing social support, and making meaning through bereavement. Prominent in the reviewed literature were the strategies of spiritual coping, primarily by facilitated personal and spiritual growth, beliefs in spiritual transcendence, and spiritual resources. Of particular note, was that all the studies were conducted in the ‘90s and did not include transgender or nonbinary participants leading to significant gaps in our understanding. Further research is needed to investigate the current interplay between faith and grief across gender identity and sexuality spectrums. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing literature has identified that the death of a partner in later life is often accompanied by changes in the personal circumstances of the bereaved. However, the consequences following the death of a same-gender partner have attracted limited research attention. The present study aimed to investigate the consequent changes caused by the death of a same-gender partner in later life. Six gay men and four lesbians who had lost a same-gender partner shared their experiences during semi-structured interviews at two stages. Participants’ ages ranged between 56 and 82 years and they all resided in Australia. We used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to identify common themes in the interview data. Symbolic losses were the first common theme. In addition to the physical loss of their partners, participants grieved the loss of their relationship status, sense of power and control and friendship networks. The second theme concerned the unsolicited gains they acquired through the experience of bereavement. The positive changes that participants reported included personal growth, new meanings, unique opportunities and mental respite strategies. The contrasting identified themes highlight the range of changes experienced by bereaved same-gender partners. Further research into the impact of grief on subsequent relationships is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite research demonstrating the poor mental health outcomes of transgender young people within the secondary school environment, little is known about the experiences of psychologists working in school counselling with this population. To address this gap, the current study explored the experiences of psychologists working with transgender young people in a school counselling context. Seven psychologists in Australia completed individual semi-structured interviews and the data were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Four superordinate themes were identified: affirming agency within transgender young people, perceived competency and transgender knowledge, expectations and surprises, and challenges during counselling. The findings demonstrated the importance of school psychologists promoting and celebrating the positioning of transgender young people within society, adopting a queer lens in their work with this population, being informed and knowledgeable regarding transgender issues, and managing the various challenges associated with this work. Practical implications for school psychologists include the need to engage with transgender training and education, helping transgender young people link-in with trans-inclusive services, as well as "queering" both the counselling space and the school environment. Future researchers should further explore the experiences of school psychologists and mental health professionals across different contexts, settings, and levels of practical experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This project sought to characterize levels of distress in Australian tertiary education students during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: Advertisements were placed on multiple participant recruitment and student run websites associated with various tertiary institutions. Level of overall distress was assessed with the K‐10 so that comparisons could be made with previous research. A total of 1072 tertiary education students 18 years or older participated in the study. Results: 70.9% of tertiary education students studying in Australia displayed elevated levels of psychological distress during the pandemic, with 23.01% of the sample reporting extreme levels of distress. Conclusions: More tertiary education students experienced severe distress during the COVID‐19 pandemic than adults in the general population, as well as before the pandemic. Implications: Services are needed to help tertiary education students cope with elevated levels of distress associated during the COVID‐19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study explores the bereavement and coping of fans following the death of a personally significant popular musician. Nine participants completed individual interviews and the data were analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Three superordinate themes were identified: a meaningful relationship, disenfranchisement of grief, and social recognition of grief. The findings highlight that the impact of a musician's death is deeply personal yet socially underrecognized. The loss of the parasocial relationship with the musician is comparable to losing a close social contact. Future research should investigate the roles of culture and social media in bereavement following a musician's death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveMethodResultsConclusions\nKey PointsMental illnesses disproportionately affect young people, and tertiary education students experience higher levels of mental illness compared to other young people. Preventive strategies would be useful for improving tertiary students’ mental health.The current study utilises structural equation modelling in order to measure the indirect relationship between positive affect and life engagement, mindful attention, symptoms of depression and anxiety, and resilience in 1,027 Australian tertiary students.Positive affect had both direct and indirect relationships with resilience and symptoms of depression, and an indirect relationship with symptoms of anxiety. The indirect relationships between positive affect and depression and resilience partially depended on mindfulness and purpose in life. Additionally, the pathway from positive affect to symptoms of anxiety completely depended on the relationship between positive affect and mindfulness and purpose in life.The results indicate that positive affect may be useful for improving resilience and reducing symptoms of depression in tertiary students but may only alleviate symptoms of anxiety through its relationship with coping resources.What is already known about this topic: Australian tertiary education students are at-risk for the development of mental disorders. Preventive mental health programs are needed to help combat distress in students.Fredrickson’s Broaden and Build Theory states that positive affect can improve mental health by improving an individual’s engagement in stress reducing activities.Existing research investigating Fredrickson’s theory has shown mixed results.Australian tertiary education students are at-risk for the development of mental disorders. Preventive mental health programs are needed to help combat distress in students.Fredrickson’s Broaden and Build Theory states that positive affect can improve mental health by improving an individual’s engagement in stress reducing activities.Existing research investigating Fredrickson’s theory has shown mixed results.What this topic adds: This study found that positive affect is directly related to resilience and symptoms of depression, and indirectly related to symptoms of anxiety through coping resources in tertiary students.The findings help to explain the mixed results of previous studies investigating the relationship between positive affect and mental health outcomes.The results support that Fredrickson’s Broaden and Build Theory is a useful framework for informing the development of preventive mental health programs for tertiary education students.This study found that positive affect is directly related to resilience and symptoms of depression, and indirectly related to symptoms of anxiety through coping resources in tertiary students.The findings help to explain the mixed results of previous studies investigating the relationship between positive affect and mental health outcomes.The results support that Fredrickson’s Broaden and Build Theory is a useful framework for informing the development of preventive mental health programs for tertiary education students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The experience of same-sex-attracted people who have lost a partner is neglected in the existing literature on bereavement. Previous research on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and questioning (LGBTIQ) populations tends to focus on the loss of a partner to HIV-related causes, and there is scant research concerning non-HIV-related bereavement. The purpose of this article is to investigate the non-HIV-related bereavement experiences of same-sex partners and to address the potential complications of disenfranchised grief. Coping with the loss of a same-sex partner and the impact of bereavement on subsequent relationships are also discussed. Implications for counseling of bereaved same-sex-attracted individuals are drawn, and recommendations for future psychological research on the experience of bereavement are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LGBTQ + students from diverse ethnic backgrounds studying in higher education institutions (HEI) continue to face high levels of marginalisation due to the intersections of their identities. These students have distinct needs and require specialised support that are currently not being met. This scoping review aims to consolidates literature of diversity and inclusion strategies implemented by HEIs to support LGBTQ + students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. It also strives to determine the degree to which these strategies have been evaluated and their level of efficacy. This study utilised Arksey and O'Malley’s (2005) scoping review framework, yielding 28 relevant publications. The diversity and inclusion strategies outlined in the studies for this scoping review include tangible strategies such as dedicated queer inclusive spaces on campus, and support services such as mentoring, counselling and peer programmes. While diversity and inclusion strategies exist in HEI, they are sporadic, lack theoretical grounding, and are often inaccessible to LGBTQ + students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. This scoping review calls for HEI diversity and inclusion efforts to be reimagined through a queer and intersectional perspective. This scoping review can inform policy, practice, and enhance understanding of diversity and inclusion strategies in HEI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students’ sense of school belonging is associated with healthier psychological functioning and improved academic outcomes. Currently, most research on school belonging has been conducted in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, resulting in school belonging practices and interventions largely biased towards Western school systems and cultures. This study sought to identify Indian students' perceptions of teacher‐level and school‐level factors that could contribute to a sense of school belonging. Open‐ended survey questions were used to qualitatively explore how teacher‐ and school‐level practices contributed to the school belonging of 93 Indian students aged 12–19. Data analysis followed manifest content analysis, identifying themes within teacher‐level and school‐level domains of enquiry. Results reveal valuable insights into factors influencing school belonging from the students’ perspective. These findings can inform the development of targeted interventions to support Indian students in rebuilding their sense of school belonging, improving their wellbeing, and enhancing their academic success. The research also contributes to a broader understanding of school belonging practices and their cultural sensitivity, benefiting educators, policymakers, and researchers worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sense of school belonging is essential for adolescent development, though there is limited research investigating ways to improve students' sense of school belonging in Qatar. With 116 Qatari secondary school students, the current study explored student perspectives of ways teachers and schools could improve their sense of school belonging. Students responded to a survey including open‐ended questions and a descriptive scale measuring the usefulness of established belonging strategies during remote learning, in‐person, or all the time (both). Encouragement and support from teachers were found to be useful all the time, with school activities during breaks and opportunities to make friends only being useful during school‐based learning. From the examination of open‐ended responses using a hybrid qualitative approach with inductive and deductive coding, two overarching themes each at the teacher‐level and school‐level were found, defined by several subthemes. Belonging practices at the teacher‐level included caring and supportive teachers and teachers treating students as people. Belonging practices at the school‐level included student engagement and a positive and supportive school environment. For Qatari students practices such as prioritising supportive student–teacher relationships, introducing policies which promote a respectful, fair and safe environment, and offering school wide‐extracurricular activities that encourage peer connections are important to develop their sense of school belonging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]