Acceptance is Key to Mental Health for LGBTQ+ Youth, Data Shows

The Trevor Project, a national suicide prevention nonprofit for LGBTQ+ youth, released a new report that gives a state-by-state look at the mental health of their target demographic.

The data is based on a 2024 survey of more than 28,500 LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 24. Nationally, 39 percent of LGBTQ+ young people reported considering suicide during the past year, according to the survey results, and that figure was 46 percent among transgender and nonbinary youth. Among survey participants who said they wanted mental health care, half were unable to get it.

Ronita Nath, vice president of research at The Trevor Project, says the organization created its state-level analysis to help people make decisions about mental health support that are better tailored to their communities.

While the experiences of LGBTQ+ youth can vary between and within states, Nath says the data shows a consistent link between young people feeling accepted as they are and their mental health.

“While LGBTQ+ youth reported their levels of access to an affirming home or affirming school or supportive community varied by state, these factors were universally associated with lower rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts, as well as lower rates of anxiety and depression,” Nath says, “so having access to those affirming spaces is really key.”

The results also show that the policy environment in each state matters, she explains. Broadly speaking, LGBTQ+ youth living in states with more protective and inclusive policies generally reported lower rates of suicidal thoughts and attempts, along with fewer barriers to support than those living in states with more restrictive or hostile policies, Nath says.

Access to mental health care remained a challenge nationwide, according to the data, while more than 50 percent of survey respondents in all but two states reported experiencing bullying and discrimination.

LGBTQ+ youth living in the South reported some of the highest rates of barriers to mental health care — 63 percent in South Carolina and 60 percent in Texas — along with some of the highest rates of discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Young people in Midwest states reported some of the highest rates of suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. In Nebraska, for instance, 45 percent of LGBTQ+ young people thought about committing suicide, and 16 percent attempted it.

Northeastern LGBTQ+ young people had some of the highest rates of feeling accepted in their communities — 90 percent in Massachusetts and 81 percent in Maine — while also experiencing lower suicidal thoughts and attempts compared to other regions. Survey participants in the West had comparatively higher rates of affirming home environments — 54 percent in both Montana and Oregon — but also high rates of depression, including 52 percent of LGBTQ+ California youth.

Nath says a unique issue for LGBTQ+ youth today is the impact of politics on their mental health and lives. While there’s not much data on the topic from decades past, the current research from The Trevor Project and others shows a link between negative political rhetoric and worse mental health for LGBTQ+ youth.

“Young [LGBTQ+] people are not inherently prone to higher suicide risk compared to their peers, but rather they’re placed at this higher risk because of how they’re mistreated and stigmatized, much of it through anti-LGBTQ+ politics,” Nath says. “I think the trends will continue, unless we really seek to put those measures in place of creating affirming environments.”

For the advocates of mental health and well-being who work with LGBTQ+ youth, the realities of supporting young people on the ground are complicated — sometimes by the political climate and other times by a lack of resources.

A Helping Hand in New Mexico

When young people arrive at Casa Q, an Albuquerque nonprofit that serves LGBTQ+ experiencing or at risk of homelessness, Executive Director Shannon Darrell says it’s “because they are in state custody, or are queer and do not have any other options for placement within the state.”

“Youth are often trying to find a safe place to land that will accept them in entirety,” Darrell says. “Queer youth find it particularly hard to find a sense of safety, acceptance, and affirming care in the general systems. We aim to provide that and so much more for our youth.”

Casa Q, which has been operating in Albuquerque for 10 years, has a five-bedroom residential space for children ages 14-17 and off-site apartments that can house four young adults ages 18-22.

According to The Trevor Project’s state report, 43 percent of LGBTQ+ young people in New Mexico seriously considered suicide in the past year, and 14 percent attempted suicide during that same period.

Among New Mexico survey participants who wanted mental health services, 53 said they didn’t receive it. The main reason was fear of talking about their mental health concerns with someone else, followed by cost.

Darrell says Albuquerque has “quite a few” mental health agencies that serve gender- and queer-affirming mental health services. The ACLU of New Mexico describes the state as “one of the most protected states for LGBTQ+ individuals in the country” thanks to a slate of laws that protect LGBTQ+ people from discrimination in areas like schools and health care.

While striking an overall positive tone about the climate in New Mexico, Darrell says the state can still be a complicated place when it comes to acceptance.

“We do have areas in the state where individuals do not show support, but, I would like to believe that New Mexico has more supporters than non-supporters,” she says. “For example, we have school districts that do not want teachers to utilize the safe space stickers in their classrooms. On the other hand, we have school districts that will honor pronouns, preferred names, and even display solidarity visuals within the school to keep our youth safe from discrimination and hate and filled with pride.”

Darrell says that anti-LGBTQ+ political rhetoric has the young people she works with feeling mixed emotions about their future, but the organization’s staff want to set the example that these youths can advocate for themselves.

“Negative political speech is causing more trauma to these youth who have already been exposed to abuse, neglect, death of a loved one, rejection, identity challenges, and many other traumas,” she says. “We are hopeful to continue the good fight and show our youth that they are seen, heard, and supported.”

The Utah Paradox

Among Utah’s LGBTQ+ youth, 42 percent reported considering suicide in the past year, according to The Trevor Project’s data, with 11 percent making suicide attempts.

Forty-seven percent said they wanted but did not receive mental health care, with cost cited as the main barrier.

Ninety-three percent said recent politics affected their well-being “sometimes” or “a lot.”

One place for LGBTQ+ youth in Utah to find a supportive community among peers is Encircle, which hosts art and music nights, brunch and other social gatherings around the state.

Alex Cutini is executive director of the nonprofit, which offers mental health counseling to LGBTQ+ youth and families in Utah. He says the social element of their services “provides hope and a tangible reminder that they are not alone, that they will be okay. Community plays a crucial role in destigmatizing LGBTQ+ identities, reducing shame, and eliminating isolation—factors that significantly impact mental health outcomes.”

While there are still strong advocates for LGBTQ+ youth in Utah, he explains, “the overall environment has become more challenging in recent years.”

Utah banned gender-affirming care for transgender youth two years ago, and the state legislature is considering a bill that would limit gender-affirming care for adults. LGBTQ+ youth can face difficulties in getting mental health services in Utah, Cutini says, particularly in rural areas.

Many of the referrals to Encircle are made by “tight-knit networks of family members, friends, and neighbors” who want to help youth and families get mental health support, he adds.