Study: LGBTQ+ youth in mental health crisis

New research by UK-based LGBTQ+ advocacy group, Just Like Us, found LGBTQ+ youth are twice as likely to harm themselves compared to their straight, cisgender peers. The report, released on the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia And Biphobia, found out of the 2,934 respondents (1,140 of whom identified as LGBTQ+), 68% of LGBTQ+ young people had experienced suicidal thoughts, compared to 29% of non-queer youth.

Black LGBTQ+ youth were disproportionately affected by suicidal thoughts, with 89% reporting experiencing such ideations. Only 13% of LGBTQ+ respondents said they had felt good about themselves on a daily basis, compared to 30% of non-LGBTQ+ people. An additional 12% of LGBTQ+ youth said they had felt useful on a daily basis, compared to 30% of non-LGBTQ+ respondents.

In response to the findings, Dominic Arnall, chief executive of Just Like Us, said: “Our independent research has devastatingly found that LGBTQ+ young people are three times more likely to self-harm and twice as likely to have suicidal thoughts and the reality is even tougher for black LGBTQ+ young people – without a doubt, they need a positive message of acceptance from their schools.”