UU-SHINE: Towards Resilience in Sexually and Gender Diverse Youth

Identifying for whom the program works best

UU-SHINE is an interdisciplinary collaboration between researchers from Pedagogical & Educational Sciences, Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, and Gender Studies across two faculties at Utrecht University. Our project examines how LGBTQ+ adolescents remain resilient in everyday life despite experiences of stigma, rejection, and discrimination. 

By combining quantitative analyses of daily well-being and coping processes with qualitative analyses of youths’ own reflections on support, affirmation, and identity, we aim to better understand which concrete resources help young people thrive. Using a unique dataset of more than 800 LGBTQ+ adolescents living in the Netherlands, the project focuses on daily resilience processes and supportive experiences that can strengthen emotional well-being. 

Ultimately, we hope to generate actionable insights for schools, youth organizations, and policymakers to foster safer and more affirming environments for sexually and gender diverse youth. 

Researchers involved

• Tessa Kaufman
• Fleur Renkema
• Margreet de Looze

Funding

This interdisciplinary project has been funded through the Resilience Funding Call of Thriving and Healthy Youth.