• Young LGBTQ people already had higher risk of mental health problems.
• The coronavirus has both robbed them of access to supportive environments and increased negative contacts.
• Better data is needed to understand the impact on the young LGBTQ community.
Since the onset of COVID-19, the volume of young people reaching out to the Trevor Project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for young LGBTQ people, has increased significantly – at times double our normal volume.
This is troubling, but not surprising. In early April, we released a white paper on the ways in which LGBTQ youth may be particularly vulnerable to negative mental health impacts associated with COVID-19. Prior to the pandemic, LGBTQ youth have been found to be at significantly increased risk for depression, anxiety and attempting suicide. This correlates with the minority stress model, in which experiences of discrimination, rejection and violence are compounded, and can lead to negative mental health outcomes.
Furthermore, young LGBTQ people already faced disproportionate rates of unemployment and homelessness. It is clear that the widespread anxiety, physical distancing and economic strain caused by COVID-19 have exacerbated these concerns, and created new, unique problems for many of them.