LGBTQ+ youth are in crisis. But they’re also strong, hopeful & know who they are.

The Trevor Project’s 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People is out today and has found a “significant association” between poor mental health and anti-LGBTQ+ victimization, including that the mental health of 90% of LGBTQ+ youth has been negatively affected by politics.

But this year (the sixth annual survey), the organization did something new and asked respondents to recount their challenges and share advice or encouragement with other LGBTQ+ young people.

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“We are asking a group of humans to do something we’re not asking another group of humans to do.”

“With so many lawmakers targeting LGBTQ+ young people through unfair and politically motivated legislation this year, there is a large amount of national discourse about LGBTQ+ young people in the U.S. – but it too often fails to include them,” Dr. Ronita Nath, Vice President of Research at the Trevor Project, told LGBTQ Nation. “Especially as we look into the public health crisis of suicide among LGBTQ+ young people and what may contribute to it, it’s so important to understand and evaluate the actual lived experiences of the young people themselves.”

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Notable messages of support published in the study included, “You aren’t alone my friend. Remember, there’s a whole wide world with people like you and me,” as well as, “Be the role model you always needed” and “Keep on going, you’re strong for existing.”

Another respondent advised, “The greatest act of rebellion is to go on living authentically and truthfully; find spaces where you can be yourself unapologetically.” Several messages also involved assuring young people that they don’t need to have their entire identities figured out right now and that they can take all the time they need.

Messages like these are clearly needed based on the results of the survey, which includes answers from 18,663 LGBTQ+ young people ages 13 to 24. It found that 39% of LGBTQ+ young people and 46% of trans and nonbinary young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. Additionally, 49% of respondents ages 13 to 17 said they experienced bullying in the past year. Young people who were bullied were also significantly more likely to have attempted suicide in the past year.

What’s more, a whopping 90% of LGBTQ+ young people said recent politics has negatively affected their well-being, and 45% of trans and nonbinary youth said they or their family have considered moving to a different state due to anti-LGBTQ+ politics and laws.

“Much of our efforts to address the public health crisis of suicide among LGBTQ+ young people are made that much harder by the ongoing wave of anti-LGBTQ+ policies pushed by extremist lawmakers across the country,” Janson Wu, Senior Director of State Advocacy and Government Affairs at The Trevor Project, said in a press release. “With such striking numbers and families literally wanting to uproot their homes to seek safety, lawmakers must seriously reconsider the real and damaging impact that their anti-LGBTQ+ policies and rhetoric create. No ‘political victory’ should be worth risking the lives of young people.”  

As we head into an election year, Nath said it’s not possible to predict how a single factor could impact a young person’s risk for suicide or other mental health challenges but added that based on the data, “It is clear that anti-LGBTQ politics and the harmful rhetoric surrounding them can cause negative impacts on young people’s mental health. Knowing that this type of political discourse may increase as we get closer to an important election season in the fall, there is definitely cause for concern when it comes to LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health.”

The survey also confirmed the importance of affirming spaces, finding that LGBTQ+ youth with access to such spaces are less likely to attempt suicide. Trans and nonbinary youth were also less likely to have attempted suicide if they had access to gender-affirming clothing and gender-neutral bathrooms at school and also if the people they live with respected their pronouns.

The survey also asked LGBTQ+ young people how folks in their lives can best show support. The top 10 answers were as follows:

• Trusting that I know who I am
• Standing up for me
• Nor supporting politicians that advocate for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation
• Looking up things about LGBTQ+ identities on their own to better understand
• Respecting my pronouns
• Showing support for how I express my gender
• Asking questions about LGBTQ+ identities to better understand
• Accepting my partner(s)
• Showing support on social media
• Having or displaying pride flags

For some young people, though, it may feel like they have nowhere to turn. What can someone do who feels they have no support person, no laws protecting them, and no affirming space?

“It is so important for LGBTQ+ young people to know that they are not alone,” said Nath. “While at times, it may not feel like it, it is critical for LGBTQ+ young people to remember that there is a whole world out there full of people who can and will love and accept them exactly as they are.”

She continued, “This reality is reflected in one of the moving answers a respondent shared when asked to offer advice or encouragement to other young people in the LGBTQ+ community – they said: ‘You have millions of queer siblings across the world who would accept you for who you [are]. It is the most rewarding experience to live surrounded by people who love you for your whole, true self.’”

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. The Trans Lifeline (1-877-565-8860) is staffed by trans people and will not contact law enforcement. The Trevor Project provides a safe, judgement-free place to talk for youth via chat, text (678-678), or phone (1-866-488-7386). Help is available at all three resources in English and Spanish.

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