The new report from The Trevor Project, an American charity that focuses on suicide prevention for young LGBTQ people, has estimated that 1,892,000 LGBTQ people aged 13-24 in the US have “seriously considered” suicide in the past year.
Of that total number, the charity estimate that 1,199,000 LGBTQ youth aged 13-18 have seriously considered suicide in the past year, while 693,000 LGBTQ youth aged 19-24 have seriously considered suicide in the past year.
The charity also found that LGBTQ youth with at least one accepting parent were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt int the past year.
“Suicide is an ongoing public health crisis for young people in the U.S., especially among LGBTQ youth,” said Amit Paley, the CEO and executive director of The Trevor Project.
“Better understanding the mental health experiences of LGBTQ young people is a major step in addressing their significantly higher risk for attempting suicide. Together, we can ensure that LGBTQ young people know their lives have value, and that they are heard, loved, and never alone.”
The new report comes in addition to The Trevor Project’s National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, which found that 40% of LGBTQ youth in America have contemplated suicide – a number which rises to 50% for trans and gender-diverse youth.
Other worrying results from the study found that two-thirds of respondents had someone who tried to “convince them to change their sexual orientation or gender identity.” People who were victims of this were twice as likely to have considered taking their own life than people who hadn’t.
76% of people blamed the current political climate for their feelings, with 71% saying they had felt “sad or hopeless for at least two weeks in the past year”.
“It’s important to note that LGBTQ youth are not at higher risk of suicide because of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” continued Amit.
“They are at a higher risk because they face harmful rejection and discrimination from friends, families and communities that can make them feel their lives are worth less than their straight or cisgender peers.
“That is why it is so important that we work tirelessly to let LGBTQ youth know that they are beautiful as they are, that they are deserving of respect, and that they are not alone.”
