Suicidal feelings and mental health
struggles can affect LGBTQ individuals more
than heterosexual individuals.
Find resources for yourself and
to help support a loved one
that may be struggling (The TREVOR Project).
(Source – The Trevor Project, 2021)
of LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide in the past year.
more likely to attempt suicide than straight youth.
of those who experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, and race/ethnicity reported attempting suicide.
more likely to attempt suicide when subjected to conversion therapy.
Research evidence indicates that transgender and nonbinary youth attempt suicide less when respect is given to their pronouns and they are allowed to officially change their legal documents, such as driver’s licenses and birth certificates.
of transgender and nonbinary youth under the age of 18 said that none of the people they live with respected their pronouns.
LGBTQ youth are impacted by suicide risk factors, as well as:
The overwhelming majority of LGBTQ youth reported recent symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder.
reported experiencing discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity at least once in their lifetime.
said they experienced this discrimination in the past year.
reported that recent politics negatively impacted their mental health.
Many LGBTQ youth experienced more mental health challenges during COVID-19 pandemic, particularly due to the pandemic’s impact on social determinants of health like food insecurity, homelessness and unemployment.
stated that their mental health was "poor" most of the time or always during COVID-19.
said that COVID-19 made their living situation more stressful.
Both food insecurity and unemployment are significant risk factors for suicide among all populations.
reported that they lost their job during the pandemic.
reported having trouble affording enough food in the past month.
When LGBTQ youth experience discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or race/ethnicity reported much higher rates of attempting suicide, with those who experienced all three of these types of discrimination reporting the highest rate.
| White Youth | Native/Indigenous Youth | Black Youth | Latinx Youth | Asian/Pacific Islander Youth | Multiracial Youth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12% | 31% | 21% | 18% | 12% | 21% |
of all LGBTQ youth of color reported experiencing discrimination based on their race/ethnicity in the past year, including:
of Black LGBTQ youth, and,
of Asian/Pacific Islander LGBTQ youth.
If you’re struggling please feel free to call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 . It is available 24/7 and is confidential.
The overall objective in helping families learn to support their LGBT children is not to change their values or deeply-held beliefs. Instead, practitioners should aim to meet parents, families, and caregivers “where they are,” to build an alliance to support their LGBT children, and to help them understand that family reactions that are experienced as rejection by their LGBT child contribute to serious health concerns and inhibit their child’s development and wellbeing.
Special thanks to The Trevor Project and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.
Encourage Hope and Help is a suicide prevention website for youth (ages 10-24), parents, educators, LGBTQ, attempt survivors, loss survivors, veterans, and community members in the Kansas City area. Through education and prevention efforts, we strive to end youth suicide.
To prevent suicide, it is imperative to understand and recognize the risk factors for suicide. Members of the LGBTQIA+ community have some unique challenges when it comes to preventing suicide and promoting mental wellness.
Keep a look out for these risk factors if you think someone you know, including yourself, is considering suicide.
Check out EncourageHopeandHelp.com to learn about how you can get help for yourself, or ways you can support others who may be thinking about suicide.
Sources - SAMHSA and The Danya Institute
#mentalhealth #mentalwellness #lgbtqia #Pride #Pride2021 #suicide #suicideprevention #SuicideAwareness
Happy Pride Month!
According to The Trevor Project, the rate of suicide attempts is 4 times greater for LGBTQIA+ youth and 2 times greater for questioning youth than that of straight youth.
In May 2021, survey data published by The Trevor Project showed that the COVID-19 pandemic has created even more challenges for a population that already struggled with unique mental health challenges. This data is a reminder of the importance of promoting mental wellness and resilience for all youth populations, but especially those that are most vulnerable.
You can learn more about promoting mental health and suicide prevention for LGBTQIA+ youth at encouragehopeandhelp.com/resources/lgbtq-2/.
Source - The Trevor Project
#mentalhealth #mentalwellness #mentalhealthmatters #mentalhealthawareness #suicideprevention #SuicideAwareness
May is Mental Health Awareness month! And while this month is soon coming to a close, taking care of our mental health should be our goal every month, and so should raising awareness and eliminating stigma.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a great place for finding resources for yourself or a loved one, or if you need education or are seeking ways to be an advocate. See www.nami.org/Home for more information.
Source - NAMI
It's Children's Mental Health Awareness Week! Help raise awareness about the importance of child and adolescent mental health by sharing informational materials based on the latest research. Share science. Share hope. go.usa.gov/xHyJZ. #shareNIMH #CMHAW2021
This website was developed [in part] under a grant number 1H79SM062907-01 from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The views, policies, and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of SAMHSA or HHS.
© 2021 All rights reserved
