“It’s important to emphasize that LGBTQ youth face stressors that their peers simply never have to worry about, such as anxiety around coming out and fears of being rejected or discriminated against based on their LGBTQ identity,” DeChants explained. This can all “compound and produce negative mental health outcomes,” he added. When compared with their non-LGBTQ peers, LGBTQ young people are “significantly more likely” to experience rejection, discrimination, violence, bullying, and harassment, DeChants explained. “LGBTQ young people often experience disproportionate mental health challenges because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized by society,” Jonah DeChants, PhD, research scientist for the nonprofit The Trevor Project, told Healthline.
How the current national climate is affecting the health of LGBTQIA+ youth
