References

Alencar Albuquerque, G., de Lima Garcia, C., da Silva Quirino, G., Alves, M. J. H., Belém, J. M., dos Santos Figueiredo, F. W., … & Adami, F. (2016). Access to health services by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons: systematic literature review. BMC International Health and Human Rights, 16, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12914-015-0072-9

Alfonseca, K. (2024, November 13). “Wake-up call”: LGBTQ crisis hotlines see surge of calls amid presidential election. ABC News. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wake-call-lgbtq-crisis-hotlines-surge-calls-amid/story?id=115811488

Baams, L., & Russell, S. T. (2021). Gay-straight alliances, school functioning, and mental health: Associations for students of color and LGBTQ students. Youth & Society, 53(2), 211-229. https://doi.org/10.1177/0044118X20951045

Bauer, G., Churchill, S., & Ducharme, J. (2021). Trans Youth CAN! Gender Distress Scale (TYC-GDS). https://transyouthcan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Gender-Distress-Scale-vSHARE_EN-2021.pdf

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). Youth risk behavior survey data summary & trends report: 2011–2021. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/yrbs/dstr/pdf/YRBS-2023-Data-Summary-Trend-Report.pdf

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. (2024, April 10). 2025 budget stakes: Poverty and hardship could rise for millions. https://www.cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/2025-budget-stakes-poverty-and-hardship-could-rise-for-millions

Chaiton, M., Thorburn, R., Chan, E., Copeland, I., Luphuyong, C., & Feng, P. (2023). Evaluating web-based care for mental health and substance use issues for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and 2-spirit youths in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: community-based participatory research study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e44292. https://doi.org/10.2196/44292

Craig, S. L., Eaton, A. D., Leung, V. W., Iacono, G., Pang, N., Dillon, F., … & Dobinson, C. (2021). Efficacy of affirmative cognitive behavioural group therapy for sexual and gender minority adolescents and young adults in community settings in Ontario, Canada. BMC Psychology, 9(1), 94. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-021-00595-6

Daughtrey, H. R., Ruiz, M. O., Felix, N., Saynina, O., Sanders, L. M., & Anand, K. J. (2024). Incidence of mental health conditions following pediatric hospital admissions: Analysis of a national database. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 12, 1344870. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2024.1344870

Dawes, H. C., Williams, D. Y., Klein, L. B., Forte, A. B., Gibbs, D. J., Wood, B., … & Hall, W. J. (2023). Experiences of queer people of color in mental health care and substance use treatment: A systematic review. Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research, 14(3), 721-755. https://doi.org/10.1086/721454

DeChants, J.P., Green, A.E., Price, M.N, & Davis, C.K. (2021). Homelessness and housing instability among LGBTQ youth. The Trevor Project. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/homelessness-and-housing-instability-among-lgbtq-youth-feb-2022/

Dhanani, L. Y., & Totton, R. R. (2023). Have you heard the news? The effects of exposure to news about recent transgender legislation on transgender youth and young adults. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 20(4), 1345-1359. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-023-00810-6

Durwood, L., Eisner, L., Fladeboe, K., Ji, C. G., Barney, S., McLaughlin, K. A., & Olson, K. R. (2021). Social support and internalizing psychopathology in transgender youth. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 50(5), 841–854. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-020-01391-7

Green, A. E., Price-Feeney, M., Dorison, S. H., & Pick, C. J. (2020). Self-reported conversion efforts and suicidality among US LGBTQ youths and young adults, 2018. American Journal of Public Health, 110(8), 1221-1227. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305701

Human Rights Watch. (2025, May 28). Human rights violations against LGBTQ+ communities in the United States. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/05/28/human-rights-violations-against-lgbtq-communities-united-states (accessed July 9, 2025)

Feinstein, B. A., & Dyar, C. (2017). Bisexuality, minority stress, and health. Current Sexual Health Reports, 9, 42-49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-017-0096-3  

Forsythe, A., Pick, C., Tremblay, G., Malaviya, S., Green, A., & Sandman, K. (2022). Humanistic and economic burden of conversion therapy among LGBTQ youths in the United States. JAMA Pediatrics, 176(5), 493-501. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2022.0042

Kosciw, J. G., Clark, C. M., Truong, N. L., & Zongrone, A. D. (2020). The 2019 national school climate survey: The experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth in our nation’s schools. GLSEN. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED608534.pdf

Kosciw, J. G., Clark, C. M., & Menard, L. (2022). The 2021 national school climate survey: The experiences of LGBTQ+ youth in our nation’s schools. GLSEN. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED625378.pdf

Hatzenbuehler, M. L., McLaughlin, K. A., Keyes, K. M., & Hasin, D. S. (2010). The impact of institutional discrimination on psychiatric disorders in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: A prospective study. American Journal of Public Health, 100(3), 452-459. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2009.168815

Joiner Jr, T. E., Pfaff, J. J., & Acres, J. G. (2002). A brief screening tool for suicidal symptoms in adolescents and young adults in general health settings: reliability and validity data from the Australian National General Practice Youth Suicide Prevention Project. Behaviour research and therapy, 40(4), 471-481. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0005-7967(01)00017-1

Lee, W. Y., Hobbs, J. N., Hobaica, S., DeChants, J. P., Price, M. N., & Nath, R. (2024). State-level anti-transgender laws increase past-year suicide attempts among transgender and non-binary young people in the USA. Nature Human Behaviour, 8(11), 2096-2106. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01979-5

Liles, S. M., Olsavsky, A. L., Chen, D., Grannis, C., Hoskinson, K. R., Leibowitz, S. F., … & Nahata, L. (2024). Depression and anxiety in transgender and non-binary adolescents: prevalence and associations between adolescent and caregiver reports. European Journal of Pediatrics, 183(11), 4711-4719. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-024-05723-z 

McDermott, E., Eastham, R., Hughes, E., Pattinson, E., Johnson, K., Davis, S., … & Jenzen, O. (2021). Explaining effective mental health support for LGBTQ+ youth: A meta-narrative review. SSM-Mental Health, 1, 100004. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2021.100004 

Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2072932/pdf/nihms32623.pdf

Moran, S. A., Bishop, M. D., Watson, R. J., & Fish, J. N. (2025). LGBTQ+ youth policy and mental health: Indirect effects through school experiences. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 35(1), e13052. https://doi.org/10.1111/jora.13052

Movement Advancement Project. (2025). Equality maps: LGBTQ policy tally. https://www.lgbtmap.org/equality-maps 

McCulloch, C. E., & Searle, S. R. (2004). Generalized, linear, and mixed models. John Wiley & Sons.

Nath, R., Matthews, D. D., DeChants, J. P., Hobaica, S., Clark, C. M., Taylor, A. B., & Muñoz, G. (2024). US national survey on the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people. The Trevor Project. https://doi.org/10.70226/BUPF7897

Nath, R., Hobaica, S., & DeChants, J. P. (2025). The relationship between parental and caregiver support and suicide among LGBTQ+ youth of color. Journal of Adolescent Health, 76(4), 606-612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.11.242

Plummer, F., Manea, L., Trepel, D., & McMillan, D. (2016). Screening for anxiety disorders with the GAD-7 and GAD-2: A systematic review and diagnostic metaanalysis. General Hospital Psychiatry, 39, 24–31. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2015.11.005

Poteat, V. P., Birkett, M., Turner, B., Wang, X., & Phillips II, G. (2020). Changes in victimization risk and disparities for heterosexual and sexual minority youth: Trends from 2009 to 2017. Journal of Adolescent Health, 66(2), 202-209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.08.009

Price, M. N., Green, A.E, & Davis, C. (2021). Multisexual Youth Mental Health: Risk and Protective Factors for Youth Who are Attracted to More than One Gender. New York, New York: The Trevor Project. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/research-briefs/multisexual-youth-mental-health-risk-and-protective-factors-for-bisexual-pansexual-and-queer-youth-who-are-attracted-to-more-than-one-gender/ 

Real, A. G., & Russell, S. T. (2025). Outness, acceptance, and victimization: A longitudinal study of depressive symptoms and suicidality of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual and Transgender and Gender Diverse youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 76(1), 29-36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.08.009 

Reisner, S. L., Pletta, D. R., Keuroghlian, A. S., Mayer, K. H., Deutsch, M. B., Potter, J., … & Radix, A. E. (2025). Gender-affirming hormone therapy and depressive symptoms among transgender adults. JAMA Network Open, 8(3), e250955-e250955. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0955

Richardson, L. P., Rockhill, C., Russo, J. E., Grossman, D. C., Richards, J., McCarty, C., McCauley, E., & Katon, W. (2010). Evaluation of the PHQ-2 as a brief screen for detecting major depression among adolescents. Pediatrics, 125(5),e1097-e1103. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-2712

Russell, S. T., & Fish, J. N. (2016). Mental health in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 12, 465–487. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-021815-093153 

Ryan, C., Russell, S. T., Huebner, D., Diaz, R., & Sanchez, J. (2010). Family acceptance in adolescence and the health of LGBT young adults. Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, 23(4), 205-213. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-6171.2010.00246.x

Snapp, S. D., Watson, R. J., Russell, S. T., Diaz, R. M., & Ryan, C. (2015). Social support networks for LGBT young adults: Low cost strategies for positive adjustment. Family Relations, 64(3), 420-430. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12124

Snow, A., Cerel, J., Loeffler, D. N., & Flaherty, C. (2019). Barriers to mental health care for transgender and gender-nonconforming adults: A systematic literature review. Health & Social Work, 44(3), 149-155. https://doi.org/10.1093/hsw/hlz016

The Hope Center 2023-2024 Student Basic Needs Survey Report. (2025, February 26). The Hope Center for Student Basic Needs at Temple University. https://hope.temple.edu/sites/hope/files/media/document/TheHopeCenter_SurveyReport_2025-3.pdf

The Trevor Project. (2025). The impact of houselessness and food insecurity on the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people. https://doi.org/10.70226/QZIL3244 

The Trevor Project. (2023a). 2023 US national survey on the mental health of LGBTQ young people. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2023/assets/static/05_TREVOR05_2023survey.pdf

The Trevor Project. (2023b). It’s still happening: A report on practitioners of so-called conversion “therapy” in the U.S. The Trevor Project. Retrieved August 5, 2025, from https://www.thetrevorproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/FINAL_Its-Still-Happening-Report.pdf 

Turban, J. L., King, D., Carswell, J. M., & Keuroghlian, A. S. (2020). Pubertal suppression for transgender youth and risk of suicidal ideation. Pediatrics, 145(2). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-1725

Veale, J. F., Watson, R. J., Peter, T., & Saewyc, E. M. (2017). Mental health disparities among Canadian transgender youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 60(1), 44-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.09.014


Download the Full Report Return to SPARK Report Page

Recommended Citation


Nath, R., Matthews, D.D., Hobaica, S., Eden, T., DeChants, J.P., Clifford, A., Taylor, A.B., Suffredini, K. (2025). Project SPARK Interim Report: A Longitudinal Study of Risk and Protective Factors in LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health (2023-2025). West Hollywood, California: The Trevor Project. https://doi.org/10.70226/OSCY3344


For more information please contact: [email protected]


© The Trevor Project 2025