The LGBTQ+ Mental Health Crisis

You often hear the phrase “one-size-fits-all” to describe certain clothing items or products. What’s interesting, though, is that public health officials and organizations throughout the country are currently employing a one-size-fits-all approach in many aspects of youth mental health programming.

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According to the Trevor Project’s 2023 National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People that surveys over 28,000 members of the community aged 13-24, 41% of LGBTQ+ youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. 1 in 5 transgender or nonbinary young people (18%) attempted suicide in the past year, while 1 in 10 cisgender young people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, pansexual, asexual, or questioning (8%) attempted suicide. In addition, all groups of LGBTQ+ youth of color had higher attempted suicide rates compared to their white counterparts (11%): Indigenous (22%), Middle Eastern/Northern African (18%), Black (16%), multiracial (17%), and Latinx (15%).

Generally, young people who identify as members of multiple marginalized communities experience increased mental health struggles and suicidal thoughts. According to the survey, this trend shows up most notably in LGBTQ+ youth of color and those who identify with LGBTQ+ groups that tend to be considered more ambiguous, such as pansexual, transgender, and nonbinary.

Past creations of mental health resources for LGBTQ+ youth have stemmed from the approach to gender and sexuality as binary. However, many people do not identify themselves within a “neat” category of gender. The organizers behind these efforts simply lack the more nuanced research necessary to fully understand the experiences and needs of young people with ambiguous or androgynous gender identities.

Similarly, race and ethnicity play huge roles in the lives of LGBTQ+ children, teens, and young adults as non-white members of the community often face additional struggles. These can include, but are not limited to, discrimination from peers and teachers, immigration concerns, and financial troubles. When designing approaches to the mental health crisis of our LGBTQ+ youth, intersectional identities must be taken into account.

The goal, then, is to create more prevention programs that target youth with intersectional identities. For example, local officials could initiate a program for Latinx LGBTQ+ youth that also includes appropriate support for immigration laws and policies, or an organization that promotes family and community support among Asian Amercian LGBTQ+ young people. Some of these organizations are already up and running and have shown evidence of substantial success. Desi Rainbow Parents & Allies leads support groups and hosts educational events that aim to promote family support for South Asian LGBTQ+ youth; their 2021-2022 Year in Review reported that across their 360 members of 24 support groups, 95% said they left the group feeling hopeful. The National Black Justice Coalition is America’s leading civil rights organization dedicated to empowering the Black LGBTQ+ community and bridging the gaps between racial justice and LGBTQ+ equity movements. As a resource for food and shelter, the Ali Forney Center provides support and stability for LGBTQ+ people dealing with homelessness; they also assist the community in gaining access to jobs and education, with 77% of their transitional housing residents in school and 99% employed. By prioritizing the support of those with intersectional identities, these organizations administer the kinds of programming that are often overlooked nationally. In order to increase their number and accessibility, more diversified and refined research must be conducted.

With surveys, young people should be able to describe their identities freely, yet in a way that preserves the categorization of data for analytical purposes. Researchers should adapt an intersectional lens by implementing open-ended questions or more inclusive lists of identity options. Utilizing this research, public health officials and organizations should tailor their programming to meet the unique needs of young people. To put it simply, one-size fits all just isn’t going to work anymore.