May 06, 2026
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Anti-LGBTQ+ policies and rhetoric are a significant driver of suicide risk, anxiety and depression among LGBTQ+ youth, a new report shows.
Rates of suicidal ideation and attempts persist at alarming rates among LGBTQ+ youth, a new report shows.
The research, published Wednesday by The Trevor Project, found that 1 in 10 LGBTQ+ young people attempted suicide in the past year and that 36% thought about attempting suicide. Among nonbinary and transgender people, the number was even higher, with 40% saying they had thought about attempting suicide in the past year.
The percentage of LGBTQ+ young people who reported attempting suicide was down from 12% in last year's report.
Still, the rates of suicidality among LGBTQ+ young people are mostly higher than the rates among the general population. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 1 in 9 high school students reported attempting suicide in the past year and 20% reported serious thoughts about suicide. Among adults ages 18 to 25, 2% have attempted suicide in the past year and 12% have thought about it.
The report was based on the seventh annual survey conducted by The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that seeks to end suicide among LGBTQ+ young people. The survey included more than 16,0000 LGBTQ+ people, ages 13 to 24, in the United States. They were surveyed between March and October 2025.
"It is very disappointing and disheartening that the data again continues to show what we have seen for a while, that LGBTQ-plus youth in the U.S. do face very high risks of suicide because of who they are, and are being mistreated and stigmatized in this country," Trevor Project Vice President of Research Ronita Nath told the Bay Area Reporter.
Anti-LGBTQ+ laws and Trump Administration policies were a significant driver of poor mental health and increased risk of suicide among the survey participants, with 90% reporting stress and anxiety as a direct result, the report found.
President Donald Trump has implemented an ongoing wave of executive actions affecting the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ people. Nearly 80% of LGBTQ+ youth said anti-LGBTQ+ laws and debates made them feel unsafe, and nearly a quarter of respondents said they felt unsafe going to a hospital.
Other key findings from the report include:
• LGBTQ+ young people of color attempted suicide at higher rates than their white peers and 32% reported discrimination.
• More than 60% of LGBTQ+ young people reported recent symptoms of anxiety and nearly 50% reported recent symptoms of depression.
• More than 40% of LGBTQ+ young people who wanted mental health care were unable to access it over the past year.
• Transgender and nonbinary young people who were unable to access hormones were nearly two times more likely to attempt suicide than their peers who were able to access hormones.
There were also some positive findings that point the way to supporting LGBTQ+ young people and improving suicide prevention, according to the report:
• Respondents who could access spaces that supported their LGBTQ+ identities reported lower rates of suicide attempts than their peers without access to these spaces.
• The majority of respondents also reported having at least one adult at school who was supportive of their LGBTQ+ identity.
• Nonbinary and transgender respondents who said their preferred pronouns were respected, and who had access to clothing that supported their gender status and to gender-neutral bathrooms, reported lower rates of suicide attempts.
