Half of Multiracial LGBTQ+ Youth Seriously Considered Suicide Last Year, Reveals Study

Around half of multiracial LGBTQ+ youth have "seriously considered" suicide last year, confirmed the latest research, carried out by The Trevor Project.

According to the report, around 48% of multiracial LGBTQ+ young people, including 55% of multiracial transgender and nonbinary youth, reported "seriously considering" suicide last year, compared to 44% of LGBTQ+ youth identifying with just one race.

Multiracial LGBTQ+ youth also reported higher rates of anxiety and depression than those reported by monoracial LGBTQ+ youth.

Multiracial LGBTQ+ youth who are exclusively youth of color reported higher rates of both seriously considering (52%) and attempting suicide (21%) in the past year, compared to multiracial LGBTQ+ youth who are white and another race/ethnicity. In contrast, 47% who are white and from another race "seriously considered" suicide, and 16% attempted it. Around 17% of multiracial young people said they attempted suicide in 2021, compared to 14% of young people of only one race. Additionally, 63% of multiracial youth also reported self-harm, compared to 56% of young people of only one race.

The "first of its kind" report from the Trevor Project, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ+ people under the age of 25, examines the "unique convergence of stressors experienced by holding a multiracial identity and an LGBTQ+ identity."

According to the findings and medical experts, anti-LGBTQ+ laws that have been introduced this year in the US haven’t helped. Other factors for attempting and considering suicide include discrimination, violence, and homelessness. For example, 77% of multiracial LGBTQ+ youth said they have experienced discrimination based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. Around 35% have been physically threatened or harmed due to their sexuality. That figure rises to 40% of multiracial transgender and nonbinary youth. And 31% have experienced homelessness, been kicked out [of home], or run away.

More worryingly, around 60% of multiracial LGBTQ+ young people who wanted mental health care said they did not receive it. Reasons include fear of expressing their concerns with someone else (53%), reluctance to get a parent or caregiver's permission (46%), fear of not being taken seriously (45%), not being able to afford care (42%), and concern the care would not work (36%).

"These findings shine a light on the unique mental health outcomes and suicide risk of young people living with the distinctive identities of being multiracial and LGBTQ+," noted Myeshia Price, director of research science at The Trevor Project. “The report points to the need to invest in mental health services and prevention programs attuned to the nuances of how multiracial LGBTQ+ youths navigate and experience the world.”

The report concluded that LGBTQ+ affirming spaces and people are strong protective factors to prevent self-harm and suicide. Multiracial LGBTQ+ youth who reported high levels of social support from family had 55% lower odds of attempting suicide in the past year. Additionally, multiracial LGBTQ+ youth with high social support from friends reported lower rates of attempted suicide in the past year compared to multiracial LGBTQ+ youth without it. Furthermore, LGBTQ+ youth who attend LGBTQ+-affirming schools also had a 33% lower odds of attempting suicide in the past year.

Researchers and stakeholders must “do more to examine and dismantle systematic racism and to prioritize the well-being of multiracial LGBTQ+ youth in order to inform best practices for working with this population and to improve outcomes,” highlighted the report. Youth-serving organizations must create supportive and accepting environments where multiracial identities are validated and LGBTQ+ identities are affirmed.

Click here to access the full report.

Join us this Wednesday September 14 (4pm BST) when myGwork be hosting a workshop on mental health, suicide awareness, and the role we can all play. Click here for more information and to register for free.

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