(CNN) — A quarter of black transgender and non-binary youth reported a suicide attempt in the past year, according to a new study, more than double the rate of suicide attempts among cisgender LGBTQ black youth.
New research from The Trevor Project, which surveyed nearly 34,000 LGBTQ youth ages 13 to 24 across the United States in the fall of 2021, also found that Black and non-binary youth reported higher rates of anxiety and depression than their peers. LGBQ black cisgender.
Raymond Quitugua, from Sacramento, carries a flag during a march for equality for Blacks, Indigenous peoples and people of color in 2020. Credit: Carlos Ávila González/The San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images
“Simply put, the mental health of black transgender and nonbinary youth is a public health crisis,” said Dr. Myeshia Price, director of scientific research at The Trevor Project, a nonprofit focused on efforts suicide prevention among LGBTQ youth.
Price asserts that this “sobering data” shows how black trans and non-binary youth are “an especially vulnerable group, as they carry multiple fringe identities that expose them to a higher risk of suicide.”
Suicide rates among black youth have risen faster than any other racial or ethnic group in the past two decades, increasing 37% between 2018 and 2021, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Compared to their white transgender and nonbinary peers in the new study, suicide rates among black transgender and nonbinary youth were significantly higher: 16% and 25%, respectively.
In addition to elevated suicide risk, the study revealed that black transgender and non-binary youth experience discrimination, violence, and homelessness at alarmingly high rates.
Nearly 80% of black transgender and non-binary youth reported being discriminated against based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, and 40% reported being threatened or physically harmed because of their sexual orientation or identity, twice as many as their peers LGBQ cisgender blacks.
The study authors say that social support can help mitigate the negative effects of the challenges faced by black transgender and non-binary youth. Those who reported high social support from family were half as likely to have attempted suicide in the previous year.
“Black families should not only be encouraged to support their transgender and non-binary youth by weaving messages of open support around gender identity into their existing family support structure, but they should also be provided with the structural and educational resources necessary to empower them to best support the LGBTQ youth in their lives,” the authors wrote.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (UCLA), in 2023 more than 330 bills in state legislatures against the rights of people in the LGBTQ community, especially among young people. The study authors call for interventions to reduce the risk of suicide among this especially marginalized group.
“Educators, adults who care for youth, and mental health professionals must take immediate steps to ensure Black trans and non-binary youth feel seen, supported, and protected in the face of a world that so often hurts them.” “Price said.
— How to get help for someone who might commit suicide
Call 1-800-273-8255 or text “talk” to 741741 (or 988 as of July 16, 2022) in the United States to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Provides free and confidential assistance 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for people in suicidal or distressed crises. You can learn more about their services here, including their guide on what to do if you see suicidal signs on social media.
You can also call 1-800-273-8255 to talk to someone about how you can help someone in crisis. Call 1-866-488-7386 for the Trevor Lifeline, a suicide prevention counseling service for the LGBTQ community.
For assistance outside the US, the International Association for Suicide Prevention provides a global directory of international resources and hotlines. You can also turn to Befrienders Worldwide.
See here the suicide care and prevention lines in Latin America and Spain.