User:Maisystarr/Mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

LGBTQ Youth
A National survey that focuses on LGBTQ youth mental health was conducted by The Trevor Project in 2021. This survey highlights some of the specific challenges faced by LGBTQ youth during the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020, like increased restraints on expressing their gender expression and sexuality. The data collected was from about 35,000 LGBTQ people aged 13-24 years old. 45% of youths surveyed were people of color and 38% were transgender or nonbinary. Overall, 70% of LGBTQ youth "stated that their mental health was "poor" most of the time or always during COVID-19", as well as 80% of youths aged 13-17, and 81% of youths aged 18-24, said that COVID-19 negatively impacted their mental health. The way COVID happened so quickly, it was a difficult adjustment for some LGBTQ youth to have to go back to living at their parent's houses full time, especially when some families of LGBTQ kids were not as accepting of them. Only 1 in 3 LGBTQ youth found their homes to be supportive, and 81% of youths aged 13-17, and 81% of youths aged 18-24, reported that they experienced a more stressful living situation. Many college aged kids came out for the first time while they were away, so when they were forced to go back home they had to decide whether or not to tell their parents, who could be potentially unsupportive or even abusive. Younger kids were isolated at home with no access to their friends, guidance counselors, or teachers who were their only potential support systems. 50% of youths aged 13-17, and 42% of youths aged 18-24, said COVID-19 impacted their ability to express their sexual orientation. 65% of youths aged 13-17, and 52% of youths aged 18-24, said that COVID-19 impacted their ability to express their gender identity.

72% of LGBTQ youth reported "symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder" and 62% of LGBTQ youth reported "symptoms of major depressive disorder". In regards to suicide, it was reported that 42% of LGBTQ youth "seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year". 48% of this being youths aged 13-17 and 34% of youths aged 18-24. The percentages of attempted suicides were 31% of Native/Indigenous youth, 21% of Black youth, 21% of multiracial youth, 18% of Latinx youth, 12% of Asian/Pacific Islander youth, and 12% of white youth. Overall, 20% of youths aged 13-17 and 9% of youths aged 18-24 attempted suicide.