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Youth

Report: Just One Accepting Adult Can Save an LGBTQ Young Person's Life

Acceptance is shown to dramatically reduce the risk of a suicide attempt, according to the Trevor Project.

Daniel Reynolds

Daniel Reynolds is the editor of social media for The Advocate. A native of New Jersey, he writes about entertainment, health, and politics.

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Daniel Reynolds

June 27 2019 3:55 PM EST

May 31 2023 7:15 PM EST

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LGBTQ youth are far more likely to attempt suicide than their straight peers -- but acceptance can go a long way toward addressing that crisis.

A new report from the Trevor Project shows that just one accepting adult can reduce the risk of a suicide attempt by 40 percent.

This support is greatly needed. An additional report released Thursday by the Trevor Project shows that more than 1.8 million LGBTQ young people (ages 13 to 24) contemplate a suicide attempt each year in the United States.

The survey was conducted with over 25,000 LGBTQ young people in this age range as part of the Trevor Project's 2019 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health.

These findings are significant. Previous studies focused on the impact of accepting parents toward their LGBTQ children. However, the data shows that any supportive adult can have a beneficial impact on this demographic.

Minority stress -- created by stigma, discrimination, bullying, or a perception of bias -- is credited as the main detractor to the mental health of LGBTQ youth.

The Trevor Project is the world's largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, transgender, bisexual, gay, queer, and questioning young people. The group offers a number of volunteer opportunities for adults, such as its 24/7 TrevorLifeline (866-488-7386), TrevorChat, and TrevorText programs, which offer young people feeling suicidal an avenue to talk.