A new report has revealed that the amount of LGBTQ+ youth experiencing suicidal thoughts has increased.
For the last 24 years, The Trevor Project has established itself as one of the top suicide prevention networks for LGBTQ+ people.
Alongside its numerous projects – such as Trevor Lifeline and Trevor Text – the organisation has also committed itself to release groundbreaking research regarding queer individuals and their mental health.
In a recent report from the organisation, the researchers found that 45% of LGBTQ+ youth have “seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.”
The new findings also revealed that “1 in 5 transgender and nonbinary youth” have attempted suicide – with higher rates reported for people of colour.
“Across race and ethnicity, Native/Indigenous LGBTQ youth reported the highest rates of seriously considering and attempting suicide, symptoms of depression and anxiety,” the report said.
Alongside the alarming uptick of suicidal thoughts amongst LGBTQ+ youth, the organisation revealed that surveyed individuals struggled to obtain help.
“60% of youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it,” the report said.
This was partly due to the “four barriers” that the individuals faced when pursuing professional care – which included affordability, parental permission, fears of not being heard and fear of opening up about their mental health.
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The lack of support was also seen within their personal lives, with “60% of LGBTQ youth reporting their home was not affirming.”
In a statement, The Trevor Project’s CEO & Executive Director Amit Paley opened up about the importance of the shocking research.
“The Trevor Project’s research demonstrates that suicidal thoughts have trended upward among LGBTQ young people over the last three years, making our life-saving work all the more important,” he said.
“The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and relentless political attacks during this time period cannot be understated.”
Paley then revealed that even though the exact size and registries of queer youth are limited, the survey is meant to “fill in these gaps and amplify the experiences of young LGBTQ people.”
Senior Research Scientist for The Trevor Project, Dr. Myeshia Price, echoed similar sentiments in her own statement.
“This year’s findings emphasise the importance of intersectionality in research, particularly among a community as diverse as LGBTQ youth, as disparities in mental health and suicide risk were found across race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity,” she explained.
You can read The Trevor Project’s full report here.
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