Youth mental health crises are hitting LGBTQ+ teens the hardest

Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a report on them 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The report includes data on a wide range of health-related behaviors among high school students in the United States and breaks down these behaviors into different demographics. The findings underscore the fact that we are in the midst of a youth mental health crisis that has occurred Getting worse over the years — that is particularly acute for LGBTQ+ youth.

According to the report, 41 percent of LGBTQ+ teens had seriously considered suicide in the previous 12 months, 32 percent had planned to do so, and 20 percent had attempted to end their own life. By comparison, 13 percent of cisgender and heterosexual students had seriously considered suicide, 11 percent had planned one, and 6 percent had attempted suicide.

Although LGBTQ+ representation and rights have improved over the past few decades, large numbers of queer and trans kids still live in environments that are deeply hostile to their existence. There is a long and ongoing conservative culture war that aims to reverse the progress made for the LGBTQ+ community in recent years, resulting in laws and policies that harm LGBTQ+ youth, such as limiting gender-affirming health care, forcing schools. For queer and trans students to their parents, and Ban the book that contain LGBTQ+ content

To understand how we can help reduce these stark mental health disparities for LGBTQ+ teens, it’s important that we first look at the overall mental health crisis in youth and the unique challenges LGBTQ+ teens face on top of it.

Mental health status of young people

Being a teenager has never been easy, but today’s youth are clearly facing a mental health crisis. suicide One of the leading reasons Deaths among adolescents in the United States. They are more depressed and anxious. And it’s only gotten worse since the early 2010s.

For the 2023 report, which is conducted every other year, more than 20,000 questionnaires were completed by students at 155 schools across the US. CDC researchers found that while some improvements were made for youth health and well-being, most other mental health indicators worsened.

We shouldn’t ignore small glimmers of hope though. Hispanic youth who had planned suicide dropped from 19 percent in 2021 to 16 percent in 2023. And during the same period, black students who attempted suicide dropped from 14 percent to 10 percent.

But for LGBTQ+ youth — who the report indicated had higher suicide rates than all other groups — the YRBS doesn’t yet have enough comparative data to show a trend over time. 2015 was the first year that the CDC began measuring sexuality as a demographic, but it only included lesbian, gay, and bisexual as electives. In 2021, they adjusted it to include students questioning their sexuality. Only this latest report now includes transgender students. Because of these changes in measurement, it will take years for us to get a more accurate picture of how LGBTQ+ mental health is faring.

And while the report gives us a lot of helpful information, it doesn’t give us data for youth who hold multiple identities, such as LGBTQ+ youth of color — who face their own unique challenges.

“Queer youth of color, trans youth of color, are dealing with the stigma associated not only with queer and youth of color, but with the intersectional stigma of both,” said Allen MalloryAssistant Professor of Human Development, Ohio State University. Navigating the intersection of these identities can be stressful for LGBTQ+ teens of color, Mallory said.

There is no single force to account for why teenagers suffer from poor mental health and suicidal thoughts, but researchers have some hypotheses. A Big debate Social media and smartphone use in young people’s mental health, with some researchers pointing to these digital tools as key drivers of the growing trend. but Other experts argue that phones and social media aren’t the main drivers of youth mental health decline — and notes that for kids who lack real-life connections, finding community online is a real comfort.

The clash of development

It may seem surprising that the social climate of LGBTQ+ rights also seems to worsen the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth greatly improved in recent decades. So why hasn’t this translated into improved mental health?

There may be an explanation for the apparent paradox. Greater acceptance of LGBTQ+ people has allowed for more visibility and for people to come out as queer or trans at a younger age. This means that instead of coming out in young adulthood or later, kids are coming out in early adolescence.

But that particular period of human development — adolescence — is a time of heightened self-awareness and peer control, especially for young teens who are in the process of coming out. Stephen RussellA professor and director of the University of Texas at Austin’s School of Human Ecology, calls it “Developmental conflict“

“Babies are just coming out at this time that, developmentally, they’re most attuned to controlling each other,” Russell says. For LGBTQ+ youth, this period of peer control can mean facing bullying and discrimination from classmates based on their sexuality or gender—a unique challenge that comes on top of common adolescent challenges. (Staying in the closet isn’t a solution, either. Kids, being their authentic self, aren’t shy about hiding.)

“The dynamic of coming out young at this time invites wonderful things and creates possibilities, but also stigma and other forms of vulnerability,” she adds.

Other large, structural and environmental issues play a role in this mental health crisis. from climate change Rising gun violence has taken a toll on the search for safety and stability — critical to mental and physical well-being. The Covid-19 pandemic, including More than 200,000 children under the age of 18 have lost a parent or carer. As of 2022, can’t be ruled out. And a culture war against “awakening” promoted by conservative politicians and pundits aims to rekindle hatred of young people of color. and LGBTQ+ teenagers.

To be clear, these teenagers are not at fault for going through basic developmental milestones, or for being LGBTQ+, or for struggling with big issues. This means that LGBTQ+ youth face unique challenges that must be recognized when developing and implementing interventions for their mental health.

How to help LGBTQ+ youth

The field of LGBTQ+ youth mental health is still evolving, and with it, how to approach the topic from a clinical and public health perspective. But there are many promising interventions to address this crisis.

From a more macro perspective, it is important to implement practices that reach people in everyday life. For teenagers, a large part of daily life involves school. A simple (and almost painfully obvious) practice to start with is inclusive, calculated policies for LGBTQ+ youth — essentially, protection from bullying and discrimination.

“These are policies that we see at the state and school district level that have really big implications for how LGBTQ youth experience school in their daily lives,” said jessica fishAn Associate Professor and Director Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Health Research Group at the University of Maryland School of Public Health.

more than one Study showed Students in schools with LGBTQ+ Inclusive, calculated policies Experience less bullying and harassment – two things that can really affect a child’s mental health. But according to Movement Advancement ProjectA non-profit think tank focused on equality and democracy, 53 percent of LGBTQ+ people live in a state that does not have a law protecting LGBTQ+ students from bullying at school, and 42 percent live in a state that does not protect these teens from discrimination.

If dealing with state law seems too overwhelming, starting with a separate school community may also work. Take Gender and Sexuality Alliances (GSAs, formerly known as Gay-Straight Alliances). They are student-led clubs that offer LGBTQ+ and fellow students a way to connect, support each other, and learn from each other. All the public health experts I’ve talked to bring up GSAs — and there’s a lot of strong evidence showing that these groups can create a safer school climate and Reduced risk of suicide and depression.

Although researchers While there is a lot of good information about what is working to improve the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth, there is still room for more data. This is especially true in understanding what works for trans youth and LGBTQ+ youth of color.

It’s also important to note that while there is absolutely no mental health crisis for LGBTQ+ youth, many become content, productive adults. It is not their identity that condemns them to depression or suicide – it is the stigma and discrimination they face in homes, schools and institutions, while their age makes them deeply vulnerable and dependent on those around them.

There are many barriers to getting clinical help or implementing measures in schools. Understandably, this can feel like an uphill battle for LGBTQ+ youth and their families. But nothing is impossible, says Fish.

“These are things that will take mobilization, that will take mass support and grassroots support in the community,” he told me. “So I think they’re all possible, but I think it’s trying to determine where the vantage point of change is.”

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