Using data from a British Columbia survey of youth in Grades 8 to 12, a study in the latest issue of the International Journal of Child, Youth, and Family Studies findsschool districts with anti-homophobia policies and/or gay-straight alliances reduce the instances of suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts for all youth.

The study, funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, uses data from the 2008 British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey, which surveyed over 21,000 children in the province on their physical and emotional health.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia looked at students' answers to questions about suicidal attempts and thoughts, and if they had been subjected to homophobic bullying in the last year. Researchers then collected data on which students were from districts with anti-homophobia policies -- one in five were -- or from schools with gay-straight alliances -- one in three. Sixty per cent of students surveyed were from schools without either support.

Lead researcher Elizabeth Saewyc from UBC's School of Nursing says it was also important to find out when these groups and policies began.

"Everyone has to know about the policy, they have to start following the policy, and so it takes a while for those kinds of changes to affect climate in a whole school district or a whole school," she said, adding that researchers looked for districts that had policies or groups for three years or more.

Taking into account other factors, such as differences between rural and urban schools and school sizes, Saewyc found the odds of homophobia against lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth was reduced by more than half in schools with GSAs -- student-led support clubs for LGBTQ and straight youth -- as compared to schools without them.

The odds for homophobic discrimination were also reduced for straight youth in these schools, and straight boys were half as likely to commit suicide as boys in schools without GSAs.

Students faired even better in schools from districts with anti-homophobia policies: the odds of suicidal thoughts and attempts were 70 per cent lower for bisexual and gay boys, and over 60 per cent lower for lesbian and bisexual girls. Heterosexual boys also saw their suicidal attempts and thoughts drop by 27 per cent. That's a big deal for a province where suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth.

Since 2008, the number of districts with anti-homophobia policies has almost doubled to 27 from 15. GSAs are harder to track as they're student led, and after some students graduate the groups may go on hiatus.

"We really want people to see that these kinds of policies and programs that are designed to create a safer, more inclusive environment, may actually have an effect beyond just the kids who participate and beyond just the gay, lesbian, and bisexual teens," said Saewyc.

"That when a school creates a safer environment, they create it for everybody."

Saewyc was lead researcher on a similar study published in the journal Preventative Medicine in August, which linked the presence of GSAs to the reduction in binge drinking among gay and straight youth.

She said both studies were part of the same research into the effects of these policies and groups on the health of LGBTQ and straight youth, which is unprecedented in Canada. Saewyc plans to revisit the data next month when the 2013 British Columbia Adolescent Health Survey results are released.

Katie Hyslop reports on education and youth issues for The Tyee. Follow her on Twitter.