“When mental health concerns arise, it often isn’t that there’s anything wrong with these young people, it’s that they are at greater risk of being stigmatized and not supported while questioning their identity,” said Dr. Cesalie Stepney, a clinical psychologist at Seattle Children’s. “Parents who affirm a child’s identity by using the right name and pronoun, or letting their child dress and style their hair the way they want to, can help reduce their child’s mental health risk.”
“A 2019 report from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law found a connection between experiences of discrimination, including in medical care, and suicidality for transgender adults, with participants who had experienced discrimination being twice as likely to have attempted suicide compared to those who had not experienced discrimination.”
“A 2015 study from the National Center for Transgender Equality opened many people’s eyes to the devastating effects of widespread stigma and discrimination on physical and mental health in the transgender community. Among the more shocking and dismaying statistics was that 40 percent of respondents had attempted suicide in their lifetimes, nearly 10 times the national average.”
“As the AMA’s brief stated, barring transgender females from participating in school-sponsored organized sports consistent with their gender identity frustrates the treatment of gender dysphoria by preventing them from living openly in accordance with their true gender. The AMA continues to work with state medical associations to oppose legislation that would compound the stigma and discrimination that transgender people face.”
“One-third said that they didn’t want to ask permission from their parents — which many states require to provide medical care to a person under 18. The report suggested that for some youth, getting their parents involved would mean having to disclose their sexuality or gender identity. Nearly a quarter also said they were afraid of being outed.”
“Black youth in the U.S. experience more illness, poverty, and discrimination than their White counterparts. These issues put them at higher risk for depression and other mental health problems. Yet Black youth are less likely to seek treatment. About 9 percent of them reported an episode of major depression in the past year, but less than half of those — about 40 percent — received treatment. By comparison, about 46 percent of White youth who reported an episode were treated for depressive symptoms.”
A shareable graphic for social media, websites, and beyond. “Many LGBT people—particularly youth and seniors—experience higher rates of rejection, bullying, harassment, general mistreatment and even violence from the people and institutions that should be protecting them,” says Delores A. Jacobs, chief executive officer of the San Diego LGBT Community Center. “The enormous effort of… hiding in order to avoid rejection from their families, employers, churches, schools, friends and neighbors can create an even greater sense of anxiety, fear and isolation.”
