Suicide rates among lgbtq
40% of LGBTQ Youth Considered Suicide in Last Year, 30% Victimized in School
The Trevor Project’s annual mental health poll links in-school supports to lower rates of suicide, anxiety and depression.
By Beth Hawkins
This story first appeared at The 74, a nonprofit news site covering education. Signal up for free newsletters from The 74 to get more like this in your inbox.
Four out of every 10 LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide in the last year, and 12% attempted it, according to a fresh mental health survey from The Trevor Project.
Nearly one fourth of respondents reported being physically harmed or threatened during the previous year. Youth who were physically attacked or menaced were three times more likely to attempt suicide.
A third of those surveyed were victimized in institution because of their perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. One-fifth were prevented from wearing clothes that align with their gender and 11% were disciplined for standing up to bullies. Seven percent said they left a academy because of mistreatment.
“Our land is grappling with a youth mental health crisis, and it is particularly pronounced for LGBTQ youth,” says Ronita Nat
More than 40% of LGBTQ youth said they considered suicide in the past year, CDC report finds
Youth who identify as Homosexual reported higher rates of poor mental health and experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors than their cisgender and heterosexual peers, a new U.S. survey found.
In 2023, more than three in five LGBTQ+ -- lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual , questioning or another non-heterosexual identity -- high institution students said they experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, and more than half reported having poor mental health, according to the latest results of the Youth Peril Behavior Survey, published Tuesday morning by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"Across all of those outcomes that we looked at, experience of violence, poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors, we do notice this really significant disparity between LGBTQ+ young people and their cisgender and heterosexual peers," Dr. Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC's division of adolescent and school health, told ABC News. "That has been the case for a while."
The Youth Chance Behavior Survey is conducted every other year and surv
LGBTQ Suicide Rates — Why LGBTQ Communities Are at Higher Risk
Members of the LGBTQ people are at a higher risk of suicide than their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Studies show LGBTQ individuals are up to three times more likely to attempt suicide than heterosexual individuals, with factors like discrimination, family rejection and lack of support and resources contributing to these rates.
Promoting protective factors like access to behavioral and mental health services, social encourage and accepting environments can help us reduce disparities in LGBTQ suicide rates and support the well-being of all community members.
In This Article
Why Do LGBTQ Communities Face a Higher Risk Of Suicide?
There are several reasons the LGBTQ community might be at higher risk for suicide:
Discrimination and Harassment
Discrimination, stigma and social exclusion are some of the main factors behind high LGBTQ suicide rates. LGBTQ individuals often face discrimination and harassment from society and sometimes even their own families, which can lead to isolation and hopelessness. One study found 36% of LGBTQ youth reported being physically
State Laws Set the Tone for Security and Risk of Suicide Among LGBTQ Youth
U.S. States with LGBTQ Antibullying Laws
Suicide attempts are 18% lower when states clearly include sexual orientation and gender identity in antibullying laws. States with more gay/straight alliances have lower rates of physical impair and suicide.
Data from a nationwide survey of LGBTQ youth reveals that articulate antibullying laws can have a protective effect – but only when those laws specify that students’ sexual orientation and/or gender individuality should be protected.
This key finding, plus data suggesting that schools with gay/straight alliances are seen by LGBTQ youth as providing an “affirming” environment, were published online April 1, 2024, in the journal LGBT Health. The findings are based on responses from more than 27,000 students ages 13-24 years old in 44 states.
“This study is the first that we know of that examines the effects of statewide enumerated antibullying laws on LGBTQ youth using a sample population which includes questions about gender identity,” says guide author Landon Krantz, MD, a member of the Division of General and Community Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s.
More than 60% of suicide attempts among LGBQ people occur within five years of realizing they are LGBQ
A fresh study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law finds most suicide attempts (61%) among LGBQ people occurred within five years of realizing one’s sexual minority identity. However, a significant proportion of attempts (39%) happened outside this age range.
Researchers examined a representative sample of LGBQ people in the United States from three age groups—young (18-25), middle (34-41), and older (52-59)—to assess the concurrence of suicide thoughts, plans, and attempts with coming out milestones, such as first sexual attraction to someone of the alike sex and realization of LGBQ identity.
The mean age of suicidal thoughts, plans, and attempts seemed to track closely with age of first realization of LGBQ identity, which is 14, 16, and 18 for young, middle, and older LGBQ people. On average, the first suicidal thoughts were reported at ages 14, 18, and 23 years in the juvenile, middle, and older cohorts.
Lifetime suicide bids were reported by 31% of youthful LGBQ people, compared to 24% of the middle cohort, and 20% of the oldest organization. In the middle and older coh