LGBTQ Youth with Parents in Military Face Higher Risk of Depression, Suicide
brief from the world’s top crisis intervention and suicide prevention organization, LGBTQ youth with one parent in the military face 17% higher odds of experiencing anxiety symptoms, 14% higher odds of contemplating suicide, and are nearly 40% more likely to have reported attempting suicide in the past year.The data backing up these findings was drawn from The Trevor Project’s 2021 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, which surveyed nearly 35,000 LGBTQ youth ranging in age from 13 to 24 years old.Overall, 5% of LGBTQ-identifying youth reported having a parent currently in the military, a figure that rises to 7% when just counting those youth who are under 18 years old.
Geographically, LGBTQ youth in the South report higher rates of having a parent in the military, at 7%, compared to only 4% in the Northeast and Midwest and 5% in the West.
LGBTQ youth who are Native American or indigenous, Black, and multiracial are more than twice as likely as white or Asian American/Pacific Islander youth to have a parent serving in the Armed Forces.Among LGBTQ youth under age 18, those with a parent in the military are 34% more likely to experience symptoms of anxiety, have 20% higher odds of experiencing depression, 17% higher odds of suicidal ideation, and are 36% more likely to have reported attempting suicide in the past year.
However, for youth ages 18 to 24, having a parent in the military was associated with 45% higher odds of attempting suicide, but was not significantly associated with higher rates of anxiety, depression, or suicidal ideation.The Trevor Project offers a reason why LGBTQ youth might be more susceptible to mental health challenges and suicidal ideation, citing frequent moves, long-period separations.
