A young woman holds her knees to her chest and buries her head.
The Trevor Project on Thursday released new research into the relationship between trauma and suicide among LGBTQ+ youth, a relationship the advocacy group says has been understudied. What their scientists concluded from available data is that LGBTQ+ youth who suffer major individual trauma may be more likely to self-harm.
Among the concerning findings:
- More than one in three (37%) of LGBTQ+ youth between the ages of 13 to 24 reported high levels of trauma symptoms.
- Overall, LGBTQ+ youth of color reported significantly higher rates of having high levels of trauma symptoms compared to white LGBTQ+ youth,
- Significantly more transgender and nonbinary youth reported high levels of trauma symptoms (44%) compared to cisgender LGBQ youth (25%).
- One in four LGBTQ+ youth with high symptoms of trauma reported a prior suicide attempt.
- LGBTQ+ youth who reported high levels of trauma symptoms had more than three times greater odds of attempting suicide in the past year compared to LGBTQ+ youth with no trauma symptoms, and low or moderate symptoms.
What do they mean by “trauma”?
According to the researchers, individual trauma happens when someone experiences a physically or emotionally harmful or threatening event, or series of events, and that has lasting effects on their well-being. “Experiences of discrimination, harassment, and violence against LGBTQ youth can contribute to trauma symptoms, which can include feeling scared, anxious, or unsafe in the world,” said Dr. Myeshia Price, senior research scientist at The Trevor Project, in a statement released Thursday.
Dr. Myeshia Price
I asked if there was any basis for claims by opponents of inclusion and LGBTQ+ rights that a person’s orientation or gender identity has roots in their exposure to childhood trauma—such as abuse or neglect.
“While some anti-LGBTQ advocates promote a dangerous misconception that early experiences of trauma can somehow ‘cause’ a person to identify as LGBTQ, copious research demonstrates quite the contrary,” Price told me. “Many LGBTQ youth report experiencing trauma due to the discrimination and victimization they face because of their identity. Examples may include experiencing physical harm based on one’s sexual orientation, or being denied access to a particular space because of one’s gender identity. It must be underscored that LGBTQ youth are not inherently prone to trauma, but often subjected to it as a result of how their identities are stigmatized in society.”
What’s the solution?
To start, The Trevor Project says its research has demonstrated that protective factors, such as building resilience to cope with traumatic events, experiencing family acceptance, and placing youth in LGBTQ-affirming environments can make a difference.
And then there are those 18 states with anti-LGBTQ+ laws, plus scores of similar bills which have swept the nation.
“We must consider the harm that discriminatory policies—and the ugly rhetoric surrounding them—can have when it comes to the potential for traumatizing LGBTQ youth,” said Price. “We urge lawmakers to implement policies that protect LGBTQ youth from anti-LGBTQ and racist discrimination, as our findings indicate doing so may support effective interventions for reducing trauma symptoms and suicide risk among LGBTQ youth.”
Man offers hand to teen who is struggling.
The organization, which is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, also recommends:
- Public health interventions aimed at suicide risk reduction should include screening and treatment for symptoms of trauma.
- Prioritize providing LGBTQ-affirming care.
- Ensuring that care is culturally salient and gender-affirming.
- Allow youth to participate in treatment as their full selves.
- Establish a sense of safety for these youth.
Who’s most at risk?
Based on data from The Trevor Project's 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, the highest rates of trauma were found among Native/Indigenous LGBTQ+ youth (52%) and Middle Eastern/Northern African LGBTQ+ youth (44%). This suggests these young people are likely having trauma-related experiences intersectionally: not only based on their sexual orientation, but also because of their race/ethnicity and gender identity, among other potential factors. They could be at even greater risk for trauma, say the scientists.
Youth who identified as lesbian (38%), bisexual (33%), queer (42%), pansexual (43%), asexual (38%), and those who were unsure about their sexual orientation, all reported higher rates of trauma compared to youth who identified as gay (29%).
Prior suicide attempts
Perhaps the most concerning data is the rate of suicide attempts increased among youth reporting higher levels of trauma symptoms. One in four LGBTQ+ youth with high symptoms of trauma reported attempting suicide in the past year (25%). That contrasts with LGBTQ+ youth who reported no symptoms of trauma; They reported the lowest rates of past-year suicide attempts (3%), followed by LGBTQ+ youth with low or moderate symptoms of trauma (9%). According to researchers, trauma symptoms were significantly associated with past-year suicide attempts across the categories of race/ethnicity, age, gender identity, and sexual orientation.
More information and resources can be found at The Trevor Project by clicking here.
If you are a trans or gender-nonconforming person considering suicide, LGBTQ+ youth (ages 24 and younger) can reach The Trevor Project Lifeline at 1-866-488-7386 or click here. Trans Lifeline can be reached at 877-565-8860. A new three-digit number has been created for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 988, available 24 hours a day to people of all ages and identities.
