More Than 50% of Trans And Non-binary Youth In U.S. Considered Suicide Last Year, Confirms Study
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Over 50% of transgender and non-binary youth in the U.S. across all states seriously considered suicide last year, confirmed The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ+ young people.
The alarmingly high rates of depression, anxiety and suicide attempts are spread across liberal and conservative regions, according to the latest survey data, which reveals a worsening LGTBQ+ youth mental health crisis in the United States. States such as Texas where lawmakers have aggressively pursued anti-trans legislation have extraordinarily high levels of suicide risk, revealed the report. However, suicide rates are also high in progressive states, such as California and New York.
This first-of-its-kind report was published at the end of a record year for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, where more than 220 anti-LGBTQ+ bills were considered in a majority of states across the country. In particular, Texas and Florida made national news as a result of the Texas governor’s unlawful directive to investigate families who support their transgender and nonbinary kids and prosecute them as “child abusers,” and Florida’s passage of the “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law, banning “classroom instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in primary grade levels or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students.” Many leading LGBTQ+ advocates anticipate yet another hostile legislative session ahead in 2023, as more than 60 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have already been pre-filed in state legislatures.
The latest report from the charity presents findings on the experiences of thousands of LGBTQ+ youth in the U.S., segmented by all 50 states capturing the experiences of nearly 34,000 LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-24 in the US. The data provides critical insights into the suicide risk, barriers to mental health care, anti-LGBTQ+victimization, and negative impacts of recent politics reported by LGBTQ+ youth.
“For years, The Trevor Project’s research has worked to increase our understanding of the mental health challenges and suicide risk faced by LGBTQ+ young people across the United States. For the first time, these new data allow us to examine these young people’s experiences state by state,” said Carrie Davis, Chief Community Officer at The Trevor Project. “Especially as we anticipate another record wave of anti-LGBTQ+bills in 2023, these findings underscore the disparities in access to mental health care and systems of support among LGBTQ+ youth, a group consistently found to be at significantly increased risk for suicide due to the anti-LGBTQ+ victimization they face, and how they are mistreated in society at large. We hope that fellow researchers, lawmakers, youth-serving professionals, and allies in every state will use these data to uplift LGBTQ+ young people and advocate for policies that celebrate and support them – not isolate them further.”
While the report offers in-depth findings for each of the 50 states, below is a snapshot of key findings for the five most populous states in the U.S. — underscoring disparities in mental health challenges and key risk and protective factors among youth who live in California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania:
CALIFORNIA
Considered Suicide: 44% of LGBTQ+ youth in California seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 54% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Attempted Suicide: 14% of LGBTQ+ youth in California attempted suicide in the past year, including 19% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Access to Care: 62% of LGBTQ+ youth in California who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it, including 58% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Discrimination: 70% of LGBTQ+ youth in California reported that they have experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Affirming Spaces – School: 50% of LGBTQ+ youth in California identified their school as an LGBTQ+-affirming space.
Community Acceptance: 75% of LGBTQ+ youth in California reported that their community was somewhat or very accepting of LGBTQ+ people.
TEXAS
Considered Suicide: 47% of LGBTQ+ youth in Texas seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 56% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Attempted Suicide: 16% of LGBTQ+ youth in Texas attempted suicide in the past year, including 20% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Access to Care: 68% of LGBTQ+ youth in Texas who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it, including 65% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Discrimination: 74% of LGBTQ+ youth in Texas reported that they have experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Affirming Spaces – School: 43% of LGBTQ+ youth in Texas identified their school as an LGBTQ+-affirming space.
Community Acceptance: 56% of LGBTQ+ youth in Texas reported that their community was somewhat or very accepting of LGBTQ+ people.
FLORIDA
Considered Suicide: 45% of LGBTQ+ youth in Florida seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 54% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Attempted Suicide: 16% of LGBTQ+ youth in Florida attempted suicide in the past year, including 20% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Access to Care: 65% of LGBTQ+ youth in Florida who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it, including 63% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Discrimination: 74% of LGBTQ+ youth in Florida reported that they have experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Affirming Spaces – School: 43% of LGBTQ+ youth in Florida identified their school as an LGBTQ+-affirming space.
Community Acceptance: 61% of LGBTQ+ youth in Florida reported that their community was somewhat or very accepting of LGBTQ+ people.
NEW YORK
Considered Suicide: 41% of LGBTQ+ youth in New York seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 50% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Attempted Suicide: 12% of LGBTQ+ youth in New York attempted suicide in the past year, including 16% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Access to Care: 58% of LGBTQ+ youth in New York who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it, including 56% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Discrimination: 69% of LGBTQ+ youth in New York reported that they have experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Affirming Spaces – School: 45% of LGBTQ+ youth in New York identified their school as an LGBTQ+-affirming space.
Community Acceptance: 70% of LGBTQ+ youth in New York reported that their community was somewhat or very accepting of LGBTQ people.
PENNSYLVANIA
Considered Suicide: 44% of LGBTQ+ youth in Pennsylvania seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 54% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Attempted Suicide: 14% of LGBTQ+ youth in Pennsylvania attempted suicide in the past year, including 19% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Access to Care: 56% of LGBTQ+ youth in Pennsylvania who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it, including 54% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
Discrimination: 71% of LGBTQ+ youth in Pennsylvania reported that they have experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Affirming Spaces – School: 42% of LGBTQ+ youth in Pennsylvania identified their school as an LGBTQ-affirming space.
Community Acceptance: 59% of LGBTQ+ youth in Pennsylvania reported that their community was somewhat or very accepting of LGBTQ+ people.
The research also points to ways in which people can support the LGBTQ+ youth in their lives by highlighting access to accepting communities, LGBTQ+-affirming spaces, and social support among family and friends — protective factors that are consistently associated with lower suicide risk. Click here to download the full report.
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