Celebrating Pride Month is suicide prevention
Creating safe spaces for queer and trans folx
Finding a space to talk about your mental health as an LGBTQ+ individual
Photo credit: Andra C. Taylor Jr. via Unsplash.
Celebrating Pride Month is suicide prevention
The world is experiencing a crisis in mental health that doesn’t just affect teens or young adults, but everyone. However, it is notable that younger generations are more likely to experience mental illness and negative emotions than older generations.
According to The Annie E. Casey Foundation (2024), a study published in 2023 found that nearly two-thirds (65%) of Gen Zers — people aged between 12-27 years old — reported experiencing one or more mental health problems in the past two years, the highest of all generations, with Millenials following at 51%, Gen Xers at 29%, and Boomers at 14%.
However, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) individuals are bearing the brunt of the mental health crisis.
Nearly one-third of Gen Z adults (28%) identify as LGBTQ+ (PRRI, 2024) — also higher than any other generation, demonstrating the diversity of Generation Z — expanding the variety of contributing factors that may impact Gen Zers’ mental health. From all general stressors, such as school, work, family, politics, etc., even more, important risk factors impacting LGBTQ+ individuals include coming out, rejection, trauma (e.g., bullying, harassment, or assault related to homophobia or transphobia), substance use disorders, homelessness, suicide, and lack of adequate care (NAMI, 2024).
Noteworthy statistics about LGBTQ+ people related to mental health:
Approximately 40% of transgender adults have reported attempting suicide in their lifetime, a significant comparison to the U.S.’s general population in which less than 5% have reported attempting suicide (National Center for Transgender Equality, 2015).
Over half (56%) of LGBTQ+ young people who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to access it (The Trevor Project, 2023).
Nearly 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ young people — ages 13-24 — reported experiencing poor mental health most of the time or always due to anti-LGBTQ+ policies and legislation (The Trevor Project, 2023).
More than half (54%) of LGBTQ+ young people reported experiencing symptoms of depression, including more than 3 in 5 transgender and nonbinary individuals (The Trevor Project, 2023).
67% of LGBTQ+ young people reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety, including nearly 75% of transgender and nonbinary young people (The Trevor Project, 2023).
Nearly half (49%) of LGBTQ+ young people, ranging from ages 13-17, reported experiencing bullying in the past year, and those who did also reported higher rates of attempting suicide in the past year than those who did not experience bullying (The Trevor Project, 2024).
On the other hand, studies show that when LGBTQ+ individuals receive gender-affirming care and are respected by those around them, they also experience significantly lower rates of suicide and other mental health problems.
One study found that when LGBTQ+ youth aged 13-20 who accessed hormones and puberty blockers had 60% lower odds of experiencing moderate to severe depression and 73% lower odds of experiencing self-harm or suicidal thoughts (Tordoff et al., 2022).
Transgender and non-binary young people whose pronouns were respected by individuals they live with reported lower rates of attempting suicide, as did those who found their school to be gender-affirming (The Trevor Project, 2023).
Additionally, a 2015 study found that transgender individuals who accessed gender-affirming surgery experience 42% less psychological distress and a 44% reduction in suicidal ideation compared to those who wanted but could not access surgery (National Center for Transgender Equality, 2015).
It’s imperative to create supportive spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals, and especially be supportive of Pride Month initiatives to foster a sense of community for young people who may not feel as safe to do so at home, school or other places.
Simply put: Celebrating Pride is suicide prevention.
Creating safe spaces as an ally to the LGBTQ+ community
Having a safe space to exist as an LGBTQ+ individual is critical, not just for physical health but for mental health as well.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for queer and transgender individuals to experience bullying or other forms of violence while in school, and data shows that they experience higher rates of bullying than their non-LGBTQ+ peers (Roberts, 2020). In addition to educational settings, other places that can significantly impact LGBTQ+ people’s mental health — for better or for worse — include home, healthcare, criminal justice, bathrooms, athletics, and just about every other space you can think of.
There are simple actions you can take to create gender-affirming spaces and demonstrate support to your LGBTQ+ loved ones — whether they’re out or not, — ultimately bolstering their mental health:
Use their correct pronouns and names. Using a person’s dead name — the name they were given at birth — can lead to negative feelings, such as stress, low self-worth, anxiety, depression, and even suicidal ideation. However, it’s important to keep in mind that just because someone feels comfortable and safe enough to come out to you, that might not be the same for other individuals around them, such as family members, friends, teachers, etc. If you’re aware that they are not out to certain individuals, they may opt to ask you to use their legal name. When in doubt, it’s always best to ask them.
Share your pronouns. Even if you don’t identify as LGBTQ+, sharing your pronouns in person or even on social media, email signatures, Zoom meetings, or other communication channels, helps normalize this practice in various settings, especially for transgender and non-binary individuals. This ultimately breaks the stigma that people who share their pronouns are only LGBTQ+ folx and demonstrates that an environment is safe and comfortable for others to do so as well.
Incorporate inclusive terms into your language and avoid making assumptions. Using gender-neutral terms can help foster safe spaces. For example:
Instead of “girlfriend”, “boyfriend”, “wife”, or “husband”, you may opt to say “partner” or “spouse”.
Instead of “homosexual”, you may refer to their sexual orientation, like “gay” or “lesbian”.
Instead of “sex change” or “sex reassignment”, say “gender affirmation” or “transition care”.
Instead of “preferred pronouns”, just say “pronouns”.
Finding a space to talk about your mental health as an LGBTQ+ individual
While most mental health and behavioral health providers will serve anyone, including LGBTQ+ individuals, not everyone feels safe or comfortable enough to be their authentic selves around non-LGBTQ+ professionals. Also, there’s always the question of cultural competency, — does a professional have the necessary knowledge and training to provide support to someone with a specific background? — which we discussed in a previous post, From Myths to Reality: Understanding Therapy & Finding Your Fit.
It’s perfectly okay to have a preference in your therapist and it’s incredibly beneficial to understand your preferences before you start your therapist search.
At the Young Minds Initiative, we aspire to be inclusive of all mental health and behavioral health services, so we are actively adding to our lists of emergency and non-emergency services, including those that are tailored to LGBTQ+ individuals.
Below you may find organizations that provide emergency services via phone or text:
LGBT National Coming Out Support Hotline — Operated by the LGBT National Help Center, this hotline is for all ages and provides support to individuals who are coming out to their loved ones. The calls are confidential, and their peer support volunteers all have the necessary training and identify as LGBTQ+.
LGBT National Youth Talkline — This talk line is also operated by the LGBT National Help Center, and they provide a private space where callers can talk about various issues, including coming out, relationship concerns, bullying, mental health, and much more.
The Trevor Project — The Trevor Project is a nonprofit that provides education and peer support to LGBTQ+ youth, ages 13-24, and focuses on suicide prevention efforts. They operate a 24/7 hotline that you can call or text, depending on your preference.
Trans Lifeline — Trans Lifeline is a nonprofit that offers peer support to transgender, non-binary, and questioning individuals. All of their peer support specialists are trained. This is not a 24/7 hotline, but they offer services to both individuals experiencing an emergency and those not experiencing an emergency.
If you’re in Arizona, specifically the Phoenix-Metro area, here are some spaces that are LGBTQ-inclusive:
Embark Behavioral Health, Scottsdale, AZ
FOLX, United States (virtual)
Fountain Hills Emotional Wellness, Fountain Hills, AZ
Lifeline Professional Counseling Scottsdale, Scottsdale, AZ
One N Ten, Phoenix, AZ
Pathways Counseling Services, Scottsdale, AZ
Pinnacle Peak Recovery, Scottsdale, AZ
Sexual Orientation & Gender Institute of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ
Southwest Center, Phoenix, AZ
Discover more on our General Resources page.
Sources & further reading
Bittker, B.M. (2022). LGBTQ-inclusive curriculum as a path to better public health. American Bar Association. https://www.americanbar.org/groups/crsj/publications/human_rights_magazine_home/intersection-of-lgbtq-rights-and-religious-freedom/lgbtq-inclusive-curriculum-as-a-path-to-better-public-health/.
National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2024). LGBTQ+. https://www.nami.org/your-journey/identity-and-cultural-dimensions/lgbtq/.
National Center for Transgender Equality. (2015). 2015 U.S. transgender survey. https://transequality.org/sites/default/files/docs/usts/USTS-Full-Report-Dec17.pdf.
Public Religion Research Institute. (2024). A political and cultural glimpse into America’s future: Generation Z’s views on generational chance and the challenges and opportunities ahead. https://www.prri.org/research/generation-zs-views-on-generational-change-and-the-challenges-and-opportunities-ahead-a-political-and-cultural-glimpse-into-americas-future/.
Roberts, M. (2020). New CDC data shows LGBTQ youth are more likely to be bullied than straight cisgender youth. Human Rights Campaign. https://www.hrc.org/news/new-cdc-data-shows-lgbtq-youth-are-more-likely-to-be-bullied-than-straight-cisgender-youth.
Slater, H. (2013). LGBT-inclusive sex education means healthier youth and safer schools. Center for American Progress. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/lgbt-inclusive-sex-education-means-healthier-youth-and-safer-schools/.
The Annie E. Casey Foundation. (2024). Generation Z and mental health. https://www.aecf.org/blog/generation-z-and-mental-health.
The Trevor Project. (2024). 2024 U.S. national survey on the mental health of LGBTQ young people. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2024/.
The Trevor Project. (2023). 2023 U.S. national survey on the mental health of LGBTQ young people. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2023/.
Tordoff, D.M., Wanta, J.W., Collin, A., Stepney, C., Inwards-Breland, D.J., & Ahrens, K. (2022). Mental health outcomes in transgender and nonbinary youths receiving gender-affirming care. JAMA Network Open, 5(2). Doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.0978
Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a mental health professional or other qualified provider with any questions you may have regarding your medical condition. If you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911.
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