This is our first wide-ranging report from a cross-sectional national survey of LGBTQ youth across the United States. With over 34,000 respondents, it is the largest survey of LGBTQ youth mental health ever conducted and provides a critical understanding of the experiences impacting their lives.
This ground-breaking survey provides new insights into the challenges that LGBTQ youth across the country face every day, including suicide, feeling sad or hopeless, discrimination, physical threats and exposure to conversion therapy.
The data provides a sobering look at how far we still have to go to protect LGBTQ young lives. But the survey also reveals the resilience and diversity of LGBTQ youth and provides guidance on what can be done to enable them to survive and thrive. Among some of the key findings of the report from LGBTQ youth in the survey:
39% of LGBTQ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past twelve months, with more than half of transgender and non-binary youth having seriously considered
71% of LGBTQ youth reported feeling sad or hopeless for at least two weeks in the past year
Less than half of LGBTQ respondentswere out to an adult at school, with youth much less likely to disclose their gender identity than sexual orientation
2 in 3 LGBTQ youth reported that someone tried to convince them to change their sexual orientation or gender identity, with youth who have undergone conversion therapy more than twice as likely to attempt suicide as those who did not
71% of LGBTQ youth in our study reported discrimination due to either their sexual orientation or gender identity
58% of transgender and non-binary youthreported being discouraged from using a bathroom that corresponds to their gender identity
76% of LGBTQ youth felt that the recent political climate impacted their mental health or sense of self
87% of LGBTQ youth said it was important to them to reach out to a crisis intervention organization that focuses on LGBTQ youth and 98% said a safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth would be valuable to them
The Trevor Project’s National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health is part of our commitment to use research and data to continually improve our life-saving services for LGBTQ youth and expand the knowledge base for organizations around the globe.
This survey builds upon critical research done by many of our partner organizations over the years and we are particularly proud that it is inclusive of youth of more than 100 sexual orientations and more than 100 gender identities from all 50 states across the country.
We hope this report elevates the voices and experiences of LGBTQ youth, providing insights that can be used by the many organizations working alongside The Trevor Project to support LGBTQ young people around the world. We also hope this report shows LGBTQ youth that we hear them, that their lives have value, and that we are here to support them 24/7.
Amit Paley
CEO & Executive Director
The Trevor Project