Being a member of the LBGTQ+ community can be a beautiful source of strength, resilience, self-love, and pride. If a child is questioning their gender or sexual orientation, and they seem to be struggling with their mental health, it's important to note that the cause for distress is often the feedback they are receiving from society about their identity, rather than being upset about it themselves. The reality is that many LGBTQ+ people face discrimination, familial and social rejection, prejudice, harassment, and a denial of civil and human rights. In addition, many people may hold additional marginalized identities which can exacerbate the challenges they face, like the added experience of racial discrimination or socioeconomic challenges of poverty.
Research studies have shown that LGBTQ+ youth are at greater risk for anxiety and depression, and suicidality. These youth have been found to be twice as likely to report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness as compared to their heterosexual and cisgender peers. Transgender youth are twice as likely to experience depressive symptoms, consider suicide, and attempt suicide as compared to other queer youth. Adolescents who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual are more than four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. The heightened risk for mental health challenges for these kids and teens is a result of a higher likelihood of adverse social experiences. These experiences include rejection from close family or peers, trauma from experiences with homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, and bullying, discrimination by way of denial of opportunities, abuse, stereotyping, and targeted hate crimes. These adverse and traumatic social experience increase the risk of LGBTQ+ individuals having traumatic stress responses.
Research has also found that illegal drug use is significantly higher in high-school aged youth who identify as LGBTQ+ or are questioning, and adults in the LGBTQ+ community are twice as likely to experience a substance use disorder. The substance use might be a result of a maladaptive coping mechanism, or method of self-medication, to deal with social adversity. In addition, LGBTQ+ youth and young adults have a 120% higher risk of homelessness, which is often a result of familial or social rejection. This risk is especially high for Black and Native American/Alaskan Native LGBTQ+ youth.
In the world that we live in, being a part of the LGBTQ+ community brings social, political, and religious challenges. As a parent of a child in this community, your understanding and support can be the largest protective factor that your child can have in navigating these challenges and enhancing their mental health.
Social support and acceptance are the greatest protective factors that a child or teen who identifies as LGBTQ+ can have. In a survey by the Trevor Project in 2024, researchers found that about 54% of transgender and nonbinary youth found their school to be gender-affirming, and those who were in affirming school environments reported lower rates of attempting suicide. Along the same lines, LGBTQ+ youth who reported living in very accepting communities attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those who reported living in very unaccepting communities. Helping your child to feel accepted and supported, and identifying affirming communities for them to engage with can be one way to bolster your child’s mental health and enhance their resilience.
If you notice that your child who is questioning or identifies with the LGBTQ+ community is struggling with mental health, or even if they have not voiced this to you, offering to connect them to mental health services without judgement is a way to be supportive without forcing them to speak about their identity concerns or questions with you right off of the bat. The Trevor Project survey found that among all LGBTQ+ youth surveyed, 84% wanted mental health care, but 50% were not able to get it. Those who were unable to get it reported worrying about talking about mental health care concerns with others, being unable to afford care, and not having caregivers' permission to access care as the top three reasons. Other reasons could be worries about being outed about their identity before they were ready or worrying that the therapist wouldn’t understand their identity.
When you think about finding a provider with or for your child, it’s important to think about what you’re looking for in a good therapeutic match. If your child would like someone who shares a part of their identity, you may be able to ask the therapist or read about them in a biography. Although, it may be easier to find a provider that has competency in LGBTQ+ issues, even if they are not LGBTQ+ themselves. If your child’s mental health challenges aren’t centered around gender or sexuality, it may not be necessary to work with a specialist, if your provider demonstrates competence and can be an ally for your child.
Want to learn more?
- Watch our LGBTQ+ youth mental health webinar
- Read Learn Inclusive Language: LGBTQ+ Terms to Know
- Contact us