Exploring LGBTQ+ Mental Health With The Trevor Project
COVID-19, ISOLATION, RACIAL INEQUITY AND RESOURCES THAT CAN HELP YOU COPE
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The best thing for your mental health is feeling like you have a safe space to be the most authentic version of yourself.
But as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, creating and finding that safe space may not always be an easy journey for a lot of different reasons. If you’re trying to find a safe space and a non-judgmental ear to talk about the struggle you’re facing — The Trevor Project is waiting to hear from you.
The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ youth. They work to save young lives by providing support through free and confidential crisis services through their phone lifeline, chat, and text — 24/7. They also run TrevorSpace, a safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth. And they operate innovative education, research, and advocacy programs to improve LGBTQ youth mental health.
We talked to The Trevor Project, and they shared some of their insight into the unique struggles that LGBTQ+ youth are facing at this moment in time.
IDM: What are the biggest challenges that you see impacting the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth?
Trevor Project: Data shows that LGBTQ youth are more than four times as likely to attempt suicide than their peers. But this doesn’t mean that LGBTQ youth are prone to suicide because of their sexual orientation or gender identity — that’s simply not true. LGBTQ youth are at a higher risk of suicide because of increased experiences of stigma, discrimination, violence, and rejection from others. These harmful experiences can compound and lead to negative mental health outcomes.
We also know that LGBTQ young people face disproportionate rates of unemployment, homelessness, and substance use — even before COVID-19! These are among the most consistent risk factors for suicide and the pandemic has the potential to exacerbate them all.
Our most recent research found that more than half of LGBTQ youth who reported wanting mental health care in the past year didn’t receive it. That stat really gets to me.
This is a public health crisis that demands comprehensive policy changes and public investment from the top down. And it’s on all of us to help foster the creation of safe, affirming environments for LGBTQ youth everywhere, starting at home and in your local community.
IDM: What are the unique needs of LGBTQ+ youth mental health, compared to other populations?
Trevor Project: For one, LGBTQ youth face stressors that their peers simply never have to worry about, like the fears around coming out and rejection, bullying, and discrimination based on their LGBTQ identity, or even the possibility of being forced into conversion therapy. Because of The Trevor Project’s research and the work we do every day, we know that youth who experience discrimination, physical harm, or conversion therapy are more likely to attempt suicide.
Now with COVID-19, we know LGBTQ youth are facing unique challenges, like losing access to their support systems or being stuck in an unsupportive home environment. And research shows that rejection or abuse at home can be detrimental to LGBTQ youth’s physical and mental health.
It’s so important that youth-serving mental health organizations and institutions specifically consider the unique needs of LGBTQ youth because a “one-size-fits-all” approach just won’t cut it.
IDM: Trevor Project has been around for a long time now, what changes have you all seen in the way that people talk about their mental health?
Trevor Project: We still have a whole lot of work to do to end the stigma and fear around talking about mental health, but progress has definitely been made. For example, COVID-19 has negatively impacted the mental health of so many, but it also feels like national attention has never been so focused on mental health and well-being before. And the advancements we’ve seen in telehealth as a result of the pandemic have greatly expanded the ability for those in need to receive care.
Also, the progress we’ve witnessed on LGBTQ rights over the last decade has increased LGBTQ visibility and representation in media, which has worked to improve the public’s understanding of LGBTQ identities and many of the issues our community still faces, such as discrimination, conversion therapy, and health care disparities.
The Trevor Project is committed to building on this progress and will continue working to ensure that mental health spaces are more LGBTQ-inclusive.
IDM: What advice can you give to BIPOC LGBTQ+ youth to take care of themselves while trying to process current events?
Trevor Project: BIPOC LGBTQ youth reaching out to us over the last few months have expressed a wide variety of feelings as they try to process current events, ranging from grief and hopelessness to rage and fear. It’s important to note that these feelings are valid — all of them. There’s no right or wrong way to process senseless and racist violence.
If you can, reserve time to practice self-care and allow yourself to feel your emotions without judgment.
Try to find comforting ways to express your feelings, whether it be through journaling, drawing, painting, dancing, or activism.
If you’re ever feeling overwhelmed by the news or social media — unplug! It’s so important to check-in with yourself around your mental health, to set boundaries, and be honest about when you need to take a break.
And if you ever need help or support, please contact The Trevor Project.
IDM: Are there any trends that you’ve noticed in The Trevor Project’s helplines since the start of COVID-19?
Trevor Project: Since the onset of COVID-19, the volume of youth reaching out to our crisis services for support has increased significantly — at times nearly double our pre-COVID volume. And LGBTQ youth continue to report a range of emotions, including feelings of isolation and loneliness, anxiety about the future, economic insecurity, and fears around having or getting COVID-19.
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If you or someone you know is feeling hopeless or suicidal, contact The Trevor Project's TrevorLifeline 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat every day at TheTrevorProject.org/Help, or by texting "START" to 678-678.
LGBTQ youth seeking affirming community can connect with other LGBTQ youth who might be going through similar experiences through TrevorSpace — the world’s largest safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth.