LGBTQIA+ Youth Mental Health

LGBTQIA+ Youth Mental Health Concerns

Plenty of research has been conducted to better understand the mental health concerns facing LGBTQIA+ youth. Here are a few statistics from The Trevor Project's 2019 survey on LGBTQ youth mental health:

• 39% of LGBTQ youth have seriously considered suicide with 50% of transgender/nonbinary youth seriously considering suicide

• 2 in 3 LGBTQ youth reported that someone tried to convince them to change their sexuality or gender identity

• 71% of youth in the study had experienced discrimination due to their sexuality or gender identity

• 58% of transgender & nonbinary youth had been discouraged from using the restroom that best aligned with their gender identity

Read more of the survey here: Trevor Project 2019 Survey

Counseling LGBTQIA+ Youth

Discrimination, feeling isolated, and being unaccepted by adults and peers can lead LGBTQIA+ youth to experience a variety of mental health struggles along with the everyday struggles of being a kid. It is important to keep these experiences in mind when working with youth who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community to inspire resiliency and promote coping.

Sending LGBTQIA+ youth to counselors who will deny their identities and attempt to change their perspectives is damaging and unethical. As someone who specializes in working with this community, I've seen the damage done by other professionals who are well-meaning but misguided. This continues to fuel my work and as a counselor, teacher, and mentor to provide a brighter future for all LGBTQIA+ youth.