About 41% of LGBTQ+ youth in the U.S. say they’ve seriously considered suicide in the last year, according to a new survey conducted by The Trevor Project. The survey also revealed that anti-LGBTQ+ legislation has negatively affected the mental health of 66% of LGBTQ+ young people. Among suicidal survey respondents, those who identified as transgender, nonbinary, and/or people of color reported higher rates of suicidal ideation than their peers. Rates of anxiety and depression were, on average, 18.5% higher among trans, nonbinary, and questioning youth than among cisgender youth.
The Trevor Project’s vice president of research, Dr. Ronita Nath, described the hostile political climate as having a detrimental toll on the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth. Furthermore, while 81% of LGBTQ+ young people expressed a desire for mental healthcare, 56% said they weren’t able to access it. Some of the reasons cited included fear of discussing mental health issues with parents or adults, financial constraints, and concerns about being outed or not being understood by mental health providers.
The survey also found that 51% of LGBTQ+ young people and 64% of trans and nonbinary young people felt discriminated against in the past year due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, respectively. Additionally, 24% of LGBTQ+ young people and 27% of trans and nonbinary young people reported being physically threatened or harmed due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
However, the survey also revealed ways to improve young queer people’s mental health. LGBTQ+ young people who had access to affirming homes, schools, community events, and online spaces reported lower rates of suicidality and mental distress compared to those who didn’t. The survey also found that rates of suicidality and mental distress among transgender and nonbinary young people declined among those who had their pronouns respected and those who had access to gender-neutral bathrooms and gender-affirming clothing.
School anti-harassment policies, LGBTQ+-straight alliances, and teacher training were identified as potential ways to improve school environments for queer students. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also suggested that schools consider collaborating with community organizations and stakeholders to implement comprehensive violence and suicide prevention strategies. The survey’s respondents expressed a desire for legislation that protects LGBTQ+ young people’s rights to access queer educational resources, bathrooms, and gender-affirming care.
The survey, which questioned 28,524 LGBTQ+ young people ages 13 to 24 between September 1 and December 12, 2022, highlights the urgent need to address the mental health crisis among young queer people in the United States.