Recent years have brought needed attention to the mental health crisis affecting young people. And among the consistent trends noted by researchers and observers is a greater incidence of mental health issues in LGBTQ+ youth, including anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and suicidality. In study after study, the findings have been similar. For instance, a report on high school students issued by the CDC in 2021 found that nearly 70% of LGBTQ+ students experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness – the highest percentage of any group surveyed, and more than 20% said they had attempted suicide. In 2023, the Trevor Project – a nonprofit organization focused on preventing suicide among LGBTQ+ youth – released a survey of 28,000 LGBTQ+ young people between the ages of 13 to 24. It found that 41% had seriously considered attempting suicide in the last year – and roughly half of transgender and nonbinary young people had. The recent suicide of Nex Benedict, a nonbinary teen in Oklahoma, drives home just how real the threat is, and how urgent the need to find ways to support these youth.
Why Are LGBTQ+ Youth at Risk?
The acronym “LGBTQ+” – along with the term “queer” – refer to lesbian, gay, transgender, and other people with minority sexual orientations and gender identities. Being LGBTQ+ does not inherently predispose young people to mental health issues. But kids with these identities often face a number of factors that can diminish their well-being and mental health. These factors include harassment, discrimination, bullying, rejection, and violence. Many young queer people get the message that they simply don’t belong.
On the one hand, the last two decades have brought greater acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community. But this acceptance is not evenly distributed; some geographical regions are far more inclusive than others. And even in areas where acceptance and inclusivity are high, trans kids and other youth with minority sexual orientations and gender identities can still experience rejection, discrimination, and bullying.
When the Rejection Is at Home
While bullying and rejection by peers and anti-LGBTQ+ policies are all highly destructive to LGBTQ+ young people, perhaps no form of intolerance is more harmful to these kids than rejection by their own families.
In a 2009 study looking at Latino and White lesbian, gay, and bisexual youth, researchers found that higher rates of family rejection were significantly associated with poorer health outcomes for young people. The researchers reported that “lesbian, gay, and bisexual young adults who reported higher levels of family rejection during adolescence were 8.4 times more likely to report having attempted suicide, 5.9 times more likely to report high levels of depression, 3.4 times more likely to use illegal drugs, and 3.4 times more likely to report having engaged in unprotected sexual intercourse compared with peers from families that reported no or low levels of family rejection.” Subsequent studies have mirrored these findings.
The teenage years are a time of transformation. Adolescents are cultivating new levels of independence, undergoing a process of individuation and carving out an identity that is distinct from their parents’. But these same teens are nonetheless dependent on their families for love and a sense of safety and belonging. When that fundamental support is withheld, the effects can be devastating.
But the opposite is also true: Open, loving acceptance by parents and family members can have a protective effect on young queer people. Researchers have found that LGBTQ+ youth who experience high levels of acceptance by their families report greater levels of self-esteem, social support, and overall health compared to their LGBTQ+ peers whose families are not accepting. They’re also less inclined toward suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.
For some parents, accepting their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity is automatic and easy. For others, it can be slow going. Parents and other family members can experience a range of emotions as they adjust to a new reality, and they themselves may experience discrimination from their peers, friends, church communities, and extended family, resulting in their own fear, anxiety, and depression. Yet ultimately their acceptance is critical for their child’s well-being.
When parental rejection hardens and becomes extreme, some LGBTQ+ youth end up homeless – either because they’ve been kicked out by their families or they’ve been treated with such hostility that leaving becomes the preferable option. LGBTQ+ young people are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ+ youth, and according to the Trevor Project young people who experience homelessness are over 3.5 times more likely to attempt suicide.
Our Schools Can Be Safe Spaces for LGBTQ+ Students
It goes without saying that no child should be rejected or made to feel unloved or inferior for who they are – least of all by their parents. When LGBTQ+ youth experience a lack of acceptance by their families, they lose the care and support of the most important adults in their lives. Lisa Philips, a counselor who works with LGBTQ+ youth in Los Angeles, told USA Today, “We see young people where there is not one positive adult in their life that is willing to help them.”
Teachers, administrators, and other school staff can become those positive adults by accepting and valuing the students for who they are, and making sure students know it. This unwavering nonjudgmental acceptance can make a powerful difference for students – across a range of domains. In fact, a 2019 Trevor Project report found that LGBTQ+ youth who had at least one accepting adult in their lives were 40% less likely to report a suicide attempt in the past year.
This support can impact academic success as well. Ample research has demonstrated that psychological health is connected to academic achievement, which in turn is linked to greater opportunity and better life outcomes. A 2003 survey produced by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), a teacher-led advocacy group for LGBTQ+ youth, found that LGBT students who frequently experienced harassment because of their sexual orientation had lower grade point averages than LGBT peers who weren’t harassed. They were also twice as likely to say they would not go to college as peers who were not harassed.
The presence of supportive staff, however, can have a positive effect on a range of school-related outcomes for these students, including fewer days of missed school, fewer reports of feeling unsafe, greater academic achievement, higher educational aspirations, and a greater sense of school belonging. Thus, supporting LGBTQ+ kids can have long-term consequences, helping them thrive and reach their full potential.
Tangible Steps That Make a Difference
Ensuring LGBTQ+ students feel safe and welcome in every space in our schools is a central responsibility of all of educators. Notably, research by the CDC has shown that implementing practices that support LGBTQ+ students benefit other students as well. In short, inclusivity benefits everyone. Here are some steps schools and educators can take to ensure all students feel welcome, respected, and ready to learn.
Create an inclusive, trauma-informed school environment. Teachers, administrators, and staff must ensure that LGBTQ+ students experience school as a safe place where they belong and where they can engage, learn, and grow. For students who lack acceptance at home and in other parts of their lives, this supportive atmosphere can be a lifeline. Schools and educators must implement policies of zero tolerance for bullying and harassment – and ensure they’re stringently enforced. Establish empathy and respect as the primary pillars of your school culture and capitalize on teachable moments to help everyone grow.
Ensure LGBTQ+ students feel acknowledged and respected. Learning and using students’ preferred names and pronouns will help students feel valued and respected for who they are. This also models respect and acceptance for all students.
Incorporate LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum. Seeing themselves reflected in what they learn can provide a boost to the self-esteem of LGBTQ+ students. Developing an LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum is a way to reflect the experiences and contributions of LGBTQ+ authors, scientists, artists, and other notable people.
Access professional development and other resources. Ensuring that teachers and other school staff know how to support queer youth is critical to increasing safety and connectedness for both LGBTQ+ young people and their non-LGBTQ+ peers. Professional development training can provide educators with greater awareness, insight, and skills. Helpful and informative online resources are available at GLSEN, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Trevor Project, the Safe Schools Coalition, Advocates for Youth, and the American Psychological Association.
Offer supportive student clubs. Student-led GSAs (Gay-Straight Alliances and/or Gender and Sexuality Alliances) provide a warm, welcoming space where like-minded students can connect, make friends, and work together to build support systems and experience a sense of belonging. Be aware that schools are required to allow these groups or clubs if they have other “non-curricular” groups. (You can learn more about the right to form a GSA here.)
Ensure school counselors are knowledgeable and supportive of LGBTQ+ identities. In a recent research study, more than 50% of LGBTQ+ youth said they wanted to access mental health services but did not because they believed clinicians didn’t understand their needs. Schools can ensure students have access to supportive LGBTQ+ friendly counselors and mental health providers.
Celebrate Pride month in classrooms. June is LGBTQ+ Pride month, and it’s a great time to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and their achievements. Hang a rainbow flag on your classroom door or bulletin board and include LGBTQ+ themes and history in your curriculum.
Listen to young people. “The best source for how schools can do better is the students,” says Oren Pizmony-Levy, a researcher at Columbia University’s Teachers College. “Students have a lot of say and a lot of ideas and opinions, and we can center our improvement of practices and policies by listening to them.”
