The Trevor Project, a suicide prevention and mental health organization that focuses on the queer community, has unveiled some troubling statistics regarding suicidal tendencies in LGBTQ+ Gen Zers.
Through the organization’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, it was found that there’s a rising number of young LGBTQ+ people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts. Researchers found this to be particularly true among people of color (POC) and transgender youth.
While we’ve made progress towards LGBTQ acceptance, our 2022 National Survey shows far too many LGBTQ young people are considering or attempting suicide. Starting a conversation backed up by comprehensive data creates change because #KnowledgeIsProgress
— The Trevor Project (@TrevorProject) May 4, 2022
📊 https://t.co/urbbGUtiPV pic.twitter.com/m29oTlffpZ
The survey conducted online between September and December 2021 polled 33,993 LGBTQ+ youth between 13 and 24 years old. Approximately 45% of respondents were POC and about 48% were transgender or nonbinary.
Researchers discovered that 45% of all respondents had “seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year.”
“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,” CEO and Executive Director Amit Paley said of the findings.
Among minoritized LGBTQ+ youths, the figures were even higher.
More than half (53%) of all transgender or nonbinary participants experienced suicidal thoughts, and about 1 in 5 (19%) attempted suicide within the past year.
Capturing the experiences of nearly 34,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13 to 24 across the U.S., with 45% of respondents being LGBTQ youth of color and 48% being transgender or nonbinary, our fourth annual national survey is one of the most diverse surveys of LGBTQ youth ever conducted. pic.twitter.com/0GVxHpVDFN
— The Trevor Project (@TrevorProject) May 4, 2022
There were similarly high figures among nonwhite respondents. While 12% of white LGBTQ+ participants attempted suicide, this figure was as high as 21% among Indigenous youths. Among Middle Eastern, Black, and Latino children, this figure was 20%, 19%, and 16% (respectively).
“This year’s findings emphasize 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,” Senior Research Scientist Dr. Myeshia Price noted.
“We urge fellow researchers to include expansive identity terminology in all youth survey research and for public health officials and youth-serving organizations to tailor services to meet LGBTQ youth’s unique needs. Only then will we be able to better understand and support the young people who need us most,” she continued.
The data pointed toward different ways to help save LGBTQ+ lives. Those with accepting support systems and access to affirming spaces reported “significantly lower rates of attempting suicide in the past year.”
“LGBTQ youth who felt high social support from their family reported attempting suicide at less than half the rate of those who felt low or moderate social support,” researchers wrote.
