Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among adolescents [1]. Suicide disproportionately impacts LGBTQ+ youth. LGBTQ+ youth in the US face significantly higher suicide risks compared to their cisgender (a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex registered for them at birth) and heterosexual peers. More than 1 in 10 (12%) LGBTQ+ young people attempted suicide in the past year [2].
While youth suicide is a national concern, it constitutes a disproportionate crisis within the LGBTQ+ community, driven primarily by minority stress, family rejection, and a hostile socio-political climate—but it is a crisis with actionable, evidence-based solutions.
The Key Statistics: A Picture of Risk
A 2024 survey by The Trevor Project of more than 18,000 LGBTQ+ young people ages 13-24 across the US reported that 39% of LGBTQ+ young people seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year [2].
Of these, there were 46% of transgender and nonbinary young people. LGBTQ+ youth of color reported higher rates than their White peers.
The Trevor Project’s 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People was conducted to provide state-level data. Findings underscore that LGBTQ+ young people continue to report: high rates of [3]:
- Mental health challenges
- Suicidality
- Associated experiences of anti-LGBTQ+ victimization such as:
- Bullying
- Discrimination
- Threats of physical violence
- Conversion therapy
This table from the 2024 National Survey on LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health summarizes some of the key statistics from the past year, which tell the story for the previous year (2023) [2]:
| % LGBTQ+ Youth | Metric |
| Overall Rates of Suicide | |
| 39% | Of LGBTQ+ youth of all ages (13-24) seriously considered suicide. Compared with 30% of cisgender youthLGBTQ+ youth of color reported higher rates than White peers. |
| 46% | Of transgender and nonbinary youth ages 13-17 seriously considered suicide |
| 33% | Of transgender and nonbinary youth ages 18-24 seriously considered suicide |
| Suicide By Age Group | |
| 12% | Of LGBTQ+ youth of all ages (13-14) attempted suicideCompared with 7% of cisgender youth |
| 16% | Of LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-17 attempted suicide |
| 8% | Of LGBTQ+ youth ages 18-24 attempted suicide |
| 14% | Of transgender and nonbinary youth attempted suicide last year |
| Mental Health Care | |
| 50% | Of LGBTQ+ youth who wanted mental health care in the past year were not able to get it. |
| 54% | Of transgender and nonbinary young people found their school to be gender-affirming, and those who did reported lower rates of attempting suicide. |
| 90% | Of LGBTQ+ young people said their well-being was negatively impacted due to recent politics. |
| 45% | Of transgender and nonbinary young people reported that they or their family have considered moving to a different state because of LGBTQ+-related politics and laws. |
| 49% | Of LGBTQ+ young people ages 13-17 experienced bullying in the past year, and those who did reported significantly higher rates of attempting suicide in the past year than those who did not experience bullying. |
| N/A | LGBTQ+ young people who reported living in very accepting communities attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those who reported living in very unaccepting communities. |
| Data from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) [4]. | |
| 60+% | More than three in five LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-17 said they experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. |
| 50+% | More than half of LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-17 reported having poor mental health |
Risk Factors for LGBTQ+ Youth
Anti-LGBTQ+ victimization drives much of the risk, including;
- Bullying (49% of youth 13-17)
- Discrimination (60%)
- Politics negatively impact on well-being (90%)
Those experiencing these had over twice the suicide attempt rate. These factors are worsened by:
- Family rejection
- School safety concerns
- Barriers to gender-affirming care
Protective Factors for LGBTQ+ youth.
LGBTQ+ young people are not inherently prone to higher suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Rather, they are placed at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society.
But there are actions that can be taken to lower these risks, including [5]:
- Acceptance and support from peers and adults
- Affirming spaces and events. Youth in accepting communities attempted suicide at less than half the rate of those in unaccepting ones
- An affirming environment at school
- Gender-affirming care policies
- Allowing transgender and nonbinary youth to officially change their name and gender marker on legal documents
- Gender-affirming school policies (e.g., neutral bathrooms, pronoun respect)
- Supportive adults reduce attempts among transgender/nonbinary youth
- Access to mental health care and LGBTQ+ role models also helps
Allyship with LGBTQ+ youth can take various forms, including [6]:
- Familiarizing yourself with LGBTQ+ terms and identities.
- Respecting others’ pronouns and showing your support by stating or listing your pronouns when applicable.
- Being a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth and using empathetic listening during discussions.
- Advocating for LGBTQ+ young people.
- Educating yourself to avoid placing the burden of education on LGBTQ+ people.
Even one supportive adult can drastically reduce suicide risk.
How Engage Young Adult Transitions Can Help
At Engage, we are ready to support you in our welcoming community if you identify as LGBTQ+.
Engage Young Adult Transitions is a transitional living program and therapeutic community that assists young adults on their path to independence. Using attachment theory, we provide a foundation for forming connections, getting involved with the community, managing mental health, and building life skills for long-term success.
Engage offers structured autonomy and high support, without creating dependence. Our therapists and life coaches are here to honor the young adults’ need to gain independence and freely move to a more secure sense of self and their relationships.
Located just steps from Southern Utah University in Cedar City, we offer access to services seven days a week, including academic support, vocational training, career guidance, life skill coaching, mental health therapies, and recreational activities.
Our community offers high levels of therapeutic support that honor autonomy and independence while guiding young adults to a life of freedom, emotional wellness, and success.
Get involved with the Engage Transitions community today!
Sources
[1] di Giacomo, E., et al (2018). Estimating the Risk of Attempted Suicide Among Sexual Minority Youths: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA pediatrics, 172(12), 1145–1152.
[2] The Trevor Project. 2025. 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People
[3] Trevor News. 2025. The Trevor Project Publishes New 50 State Report on LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health, Suicide Risk & Access to Support.
[4] CDC. 2024. Health Disparities Among LGBTQ Youth.
[5] Medical College of Wisconsin. 2025. Suicide Prevention Resources for LGBTQ+ Young People.
[6] The Trevor Project. 2024. Allyship in Action.
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