Youth Mental Health
According to The Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health in Michigan:
45% of LGBTQ youth in Michigan seriously considered suicide in the past year, including 52% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
76% of LGBTQ youth in Michigan reported experiencing symptoms of anxiety, including 79% of transgender and nonbinary youth.
LGBTQ youth who are also people of color face compounding discrimination. For those who identify as LGBTQ and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color) the effects of systemic discrimination are interlocked and multiplied, particularly related to housing, employment, and health care.
LGBTQ youth experience higher rates of adversity than their straight or cisgender peers. During childhood, many LGBTQ youth had a parent or guardian with mental health issues, witnessed abuse of another family member, or experienced violence or abuse due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
As we highlighted yesterday in Day 11: Healthcare, holding a marginalized identity is not the risk factor, but the risk factors exist because these individuals live in a culture and society that still marginalizes, oppresses, and discriminates. But, you can help.
In addition to engaging with this 21 Day Challenge and continuing to educate yourself about LGBTQIA+ experiences, you can have a direct impact in a youth’s life. A caring, consistent adult in a young person’s life can make a difference. When youth are able to build trusting relationships with adults without having to censor who they are in order to get their needs met, they begin to foster a sense of belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization.
TODAY’S CHALLENGE
Read:
- The Trevor Project’s 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People amplifies the experiences of more than 28,000 LGBTQ young people ages 13 to 24 across the United States. This survey gives a voice to LGBTQ young people — at a time when their existence is unfairly at the center of national political debates and state legislatures have introduced and implemented a record number of anti-LGBTQ policies. Read the Key Findings here.
Watch:
- TrevorTalks – Episode 1: How to Support LGBTQ Young People and Prevent Bullying, The Trevor Project, (August 7, 2023). [4 minute video]
Engage:
- The Trevor Project provides 24/7 support to LGBTQIA+ young people across the nation.
- Find local support for suicidal ideation and mental health crises from Gryphon Place.
- Additional Mental Health Resources for the LGBTQIA+ Community