Upward Trend in Suicidal Thoughts Among LGBTQ Youth w/Large Disparities for LGBTQ Youth of Color

– 45% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, nearly 1 in 5 transgender and nonbinary youth attempted suicide, and LGBTQ youth of color reported higher rates than their white peers.
– 60% of youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it.
– More than 60% of LGBTQ youth reported their home was not affirming and nearly 2 in 5 reported living in a community that is unaccepting of LGBTQ people. However, those who do have support in these places report much lower suicide risk.
The Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and mental health organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning (LGBTQ) young people, released the findings of its 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health today, representing the experiences of nearly 34,000 LGBTQ youth (ages 13-24) across the United States. With 45% of respondents being LGBTQ youth of color and 48% being transgender or nonbinary, the survey is one of the most diverse surveys of LGBTQ youth ever conducted. Comparing data from the organization’s annual national surveys over the past three years, reports of seriously considering suicide among LGBTQ youth respondents have increased from 40% to 42% to 45%.
These new data find that 45% of respondents seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, including more than half of transgender and nonbinary youth (53%) and 1 in 3 cisgender youth (33%). A large majority of LGBTQ youth also reported recent symptoms of anxiety (73%) and depression (58%), yet 60% of youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it. The top four barriers to care reported by youth were fears around discussing mental health, concerns with parental permission, fears of not being taken seriously, and lack of affordability.
"The Trevor Project’s research demonstrates that suicidal thoughts have trended upward among LGBTQ young people over the last three years, making our…