The crisis line for LGBTQ youth launched in 2023. It’s overcrowded.
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The crisis line for LGBTQ youth launched in 2023. It’s overcrowded.

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The numbers are staggering: 39% of young people identifying as LGBTQ+ have seriously considered attempting suicide in the last year.

Data from a May 2024 survey conducted by the Trevor Project, a nonprofit crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth, also shows that more than 1 in 10 people (12%) have actually attempted suicide. For young transgender and non-binary people, the situation is even worse – 46% admit that they have considered suicide in the last year.

According to a report by the Trevor Project, only half of people who wanted to use mental health care were able to do so.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which went national in 2022, launched a sub-network for LGBTQ+ young people in 2023 with the goal of closing the care gap for vulnerable populations and providing specialized care. And after almost a year, the subnet is making an impact, its data shows.

Between 3 July 2023 and 3 May 2024, the 988 LGBTQI+ sub-network received approximately 480,000 calls, online chats and text messages, with calls to the sub-network increasing by 12% month-on-month from its launch in July 2023 to April 2024. Young people can connect with crisis counsellors trained in LGBTQ+ issues by calling 988, then pressing 3 or texting PRIDE to 988.

Call volume alone increased 67% from July 2023 to April 2024, according to Vibrant Emotional Health, an organization that partners with the National Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to manage the hotline.

The need for specialized care for LGBTQ+ people

“LGBTQ+ young people face unique challenges related to stigma, bullying and lack of acceptance,” said Adam Callahan, director of cross-functional planning at Vibrant Emotional Health.

“So one of the real reasons for building this subnet is to provide members of this community with the safety of being connected to someone who understands what they’re experiencing and someone who won’t judge them. “If in particular they are still hidden, you need someone to get it, who starts with basic knowledge,” he said.

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Laura Hoge, a gender specialist and owner of Spectrum Health and Wellness in Montclair, New Jersey, said that “the need to provide specialized services to LGBTQ+ people cannot be overemphasized.”

LGBTQ+ people, especially those who are transgender or gender non-conforming, “are experiencing mistreatment at an alarming rate in health care and behavioral health settings,” Hoge said. “Having a helpline that is intentionally affirming provides a layer of safety for those in crisis – they are less likely to experience an additional layer of ignorance or mistreatment at a time that is already vulnerable or even life-threatening.”

Callahan said that as some states pass or propose transgender rights legislation, “the pushback against transgender identity and transgender experiences has really had an impact on people.”

Book bans, censorship of material relating to the LGBTQ+ experience and restrictions on how teachers can discuss LGBTQ+ issues with students have a “huge impact on people, especially in rural communities,” said Callahan, who grew up in rural Missouri .

“You’re in a culture where you’re told you’re not OK, that there’s something wrong with you, and that has a huge impact on people’s mental well-being,” he said.

The message and the messenger matter

“It’s incredibly empowering to see a federally funded program where (lawmakers) have allocated money and resources to a community that needs and deserves support,” Callahan said.

As someone who came of age during the fight for marriage equality and other rights, Callahan said it’s “inspiring” to see nationwide efforts to help LGBTQ+ young people deal with mental health challenges.

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Cathy Renna, director of communications for the National LGBTQ Task Force, said her organization has helped spread awareness of the 988 LGBTQI+ subnetwork.

“So many queer people experience culturally inept health care,” she said. “There’s not enough training and understanding, and it’s important when the person on the other end of the phone (helping someone in crisis) understands the diversity of the LGBTQ community and the challenges we face.”

Imagine, she said, an avalanche of negative messages and personal attacks on a person’s gender, sexuality and identity in politics and sports, in literature and education.

The implementation of a dedicated federally funded LGBTQ+ mental health system is “a clear and direct sign that the needs of this community are being cared for and attended to,” she said, a community that has historically had to fight not only for recognition and respect, but also for equality in access to health care.

“It’s a very important statement and it’s not just a message, it’s a messenger.”

Contact Phaedra Trethan via email: [email protected], on X (formerly Twitter) @wordsbyphaedra or on Threads @by_phaedra

If you or someone you know is in need of mental health resources and support, please call, write or talk to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline or visit 988lifeline.org for 24/7 access to free and confidential services.

Website https://www.grupexit.cat

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