2024 United Kingdom Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People

Explore the Survey

Introduction

The 2024 United Kingdom (UK) Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People captures the experiences of over 9,600 LGBTQ+ young people ages 13 to 24 across the UK. These findings on the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people in the UK come at a time when national public debates about transgender and nonbinary people negatively impact young people’s mental well-being. While this survey found that more than half of all LGBTQ+ young people considered suicide in the past year, trans and nonbinary youth reported significantly higher rates. Additionally, findings illustrate that victimization and discrimination, non-accepting school environments, the absence of a trusted adult, and the lack of access to affirming spaces are closely associated with poorer mental health outcomes that disproportionately impacted trans and nonbinary young people.

This first-of-its-kind survey underscores the urgency of developing effective mental health support and proactive suicide prevention strategies for LGBTQ+ young people. The survey findings suggest that providing affirming, accepting and safe environments in school, at home, and in communities are critical for preventing suicide and other mental health concerns among LGBTQ+ youth, and trans and nonbinary young people in particular.

Thank you to the LGBTQ+ young people who bravely shared their experiences with us. We hope this survey will equip fellow researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and young people with evidence that can be used to improve the lives of LGBTQ+ young people across the UK.

The Trevor Project

In Collaboration With

  • Professor Elizabeth McDermott (she/her)

    Elizabeth McDermott is Professor of Mental Health & Society at Birmingham University, UK where she is the Deputy Director of the Institute for Mental Health, one of the leading centres of mental health research in the UK focusing on interdisciplinary youth mental health. Professor McDermott is an international expert on LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health and her work is regularly used by policy-makers across the world to inform inclusive mental health policy. Professor McDermott’s research concentrates on understanding why LGBTQ+ young people have elevated rates of poor mental health and developing ways of preventing these mental health inequalities. In her co-authored book Queer Youth, Suicide and Self Harm: Troubled Subjects, Troubling Norms (2016), she has re-theorised why marginalised sexuality and gender identities may influence youth mental health. Most recently, her Queer Futures 2 Study has resulted in the first national guidelines for the provision of early intervention mental health support for LGBTQ+ young people https://queerfutures2.co.uk/resources/. Professor McDermott’s current work argues that to address LGBTQ+ youth mental health inequality requires a intersectional youth rights approach to mental health support and prevention https://doi.org/10.1177/27551938241230766.

    Visit Website

  • Dr Willem J. Stander (he/him)

    Dr Willem Stander is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Birmingham. His teaching and research cover a broad spectrum of psychology, health, and social care programmes. Willem's work primarily focuses on the mental health help-seeking behaviours of marginalised youth populations (i.e., LGBTQ+, care-experienced or looked-after young people), using mixed methods and participatory approaches. Willem has been appointed as co-chair of the UK regional network for the International Partnership for Queer Youth Resilience (INQYR), beginning in the Autumn term. He is also a member of the British Psychology Society and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Willem has collaborated on research with leading UK and international LGBTQ+ non-profit organisations including Stonewall.

    Visit Website

  • Dr Jason Schaub (he/him)

    Dr Jason Schaub is Associate Professor in Social Work at University of Birmingham. He is a qualified social worker and practised in USA, Ireland and the UK in mental health and children’s services for over ten years. His research focusses on sexual orientation and gender identity, specifically about how professionals support LGBTQ+ service users, predominantly using evidence-based methodologies and mixed methods. He has received funding from National Institute of Health Research, What Works Centres/Cabinet Office, NHS England; Economic and Social Research Council, and a range of charities and support organisations. He was previously the chair of the International Social Work and Sexuality group and the co-chair of the UK regional network for the International Network for Queer Youth Resilience.

    Visit Website

  • McPin

    McPin is a mental health research charity whose mission is to improve everyone’s mental health through research informed and directed by expertise generated through lived experience. We want the value of lived experience of mental health issues to be upheld and embraced, and so we put it at the heart of everything we do, including research, public involvement, evaluation, training, mental health campaigns, and policy work. The Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG) was made up of young people aged 13-25, with a diverse range of gender identities and sexualities, who were interested in LGBTQ+ youth mental health, suicide prevention and being involved in mental health research. Members of the YPAG met over the course of a year provided advice and shared on input on the content, design and accessibility of the survey for a UK context, as well as the social media dissemination plan. The group were also involved in test-running the survey and reviewing the preliminary findings of the survey as well as brainstorming ways in which the data could be used to improve the mental health and wellbeing of young LGBTQ+ people. In all our work at McPin, we aim to uphold our values of opposing oppression, promoting compassion and collaboration, and being courageous.

Key Findings

In the past year, over half of LGBTQ+ young people (58%) seriously considered attempting suicide

nearly 1 in 5 (19%) attempted suicide.

Share:

The majority of LGBTQ+ young people reported recent symptoms of depression (62%), anxiety (70%), and self-harm in the past year (58%).

Share:

Nearly 1 in 6 (16%) LGBTQ+ young people reported being threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy

this was associated with higher rates of mental health concerns.

Share:

Two-thirds (66%) of LGBTQ+ young people reported discrimination due to sexual orientation, and 68% reported discrimination due to gender identity

Both were associated with higher rates of attempting and considering suicide.

Share:

More than 1 in 10 (12%) LGBTQ+ young people reported current or previous homelessness due to being kicked out or running away.

Share:

LGBTQ+ young people who reported being in schools where students were very accepting of LGBTQ+ people attempted suicide at less than half the rate (13%) of those who reported being in schools where students were not accepting of LGBTQ+ individuals (35%).

Share:

A majority (58%) of LGBTQ+ students said they avoided bathrooms at school due to a fear of safety, and nearly half (45%) said the same about changing rooms.

Share:

LGBTQ+ young people who describe their community as accepting were significantly less likely to attempt suicide (16%) than those who report living in unaccepting communities (27%).

Share:

Mental Health & Suicide Risk

LGBTQ+ young people are not inherently prone to suicide risk because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Rather, they are placed at higher risk because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized in society.

Mental Health & Suicide Risk:

Suicide Risk

More than half of LGBTQ+ young people (58%) seriously considered suicide in the past year.

Share:

Nearly 1 in 5 of LGBTQ+ young people in the UK (19%) attempted suicide in the past year.

Share:

Rates of having ever considered or attempted suicide among LGBTQ+ young people

Explore Data by:

  • White

    78%
    32%

  • Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups

    79%
    37%

  • Asian/Asian British

    75%
    34%

  • Black/Black British, Caribbean or African

    79%
    40%

  • Arab/Any other ethnic group

    80%
    38%

  • Asexual

    78%
    26%

  • Bisexual

    75%
    30%

  • Gay

    71%
    28%

  • Lesbian

    77%
    31%

  • Pansexual

    83%
    41%

  • Queer

    83%
    37%

  • Unsure

    78%
    35%

  • Gender fluid

    85%
    42%

  • Nonbinary

    84%
    38%

  • Questioning

    81%
    30%

  • Cisgender men

    61%
    19%

  • Cisgender women

    69%
    24%

  • Transgender men

    89%
    46%

  • Transgender women

    85%
    39%


  • Diagnosed with autism or any disability

    86%
    47%

  • Not diagnosed with autism or any disability

    71%
    23%

  • Food-insecure

    87%
    47%

  • Food-secure

    71%
    24%

Rates of considering or attempting suicide in the past year among LGBTQ+ young people

Explore Data by:

  • 13-15

    65%
    23%

  • 16-18

    59%
    20%

  • 19-24

    51%
    13%

  • White

    59%
    18%

  • Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups

    63%
    25%

  • Asian/Asian British

    54%
    17%

  • Black/Black British, Caribbean or African

    63%
    29%

  • Arab/Any other ethnic group

    60%
    23%

  • Asexual

    57%
    16%

  • Bisexual

    56%
    18%

  • Gay

    51%
    16%

  • Lesbian

    59%
    18%

  • Pansexual

    68%
    27%

  • Queer

    62%
    18%

  • Unsure

    64%
    23%

  • Gender fluid

    69%
    30%

  • Nonbinary

    63%
    20%

  • Questioning

    63%
    19%

  • Cisgender men

    41%
    9%

  • Cisgender women

    50%
    13%

  • Transgender men

    72%
    30%

  • Transgender women

    68%
    23%


  • Diagnosed with autism or any disability

    52%
    13%

  • Not diagnosed with autism or any disability

    68%
    28%

  • Born outside of the UK

    59%
    19%

  • Not born outside of the UK

    56%
    17%

  • Food-insecure

    70%
    29%

  • Food-secure

    51%
    13%

Depression & Anxiety

62% of LGBTQ+ young people reported experiencing depression symptoms and 70% reported experiencing anxiety symptoms in the past two weeks.

Share:

58% of LGBTQ+ young people reported self-harming in the past year.

Share:

Rates of LGBTQ+ young people who experienced recent depression and anxiety

Explore Data by:

  • White

    62%
    70%

  • Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups

    64%
    67%

  • Asian/Asian British

    64%
    68%

  • Black/Black British, Caribbean or African

    66%
    65%

  • Arab/Any other ethnic group

    63%
    71%

  • Asexual

    65%
    71%

  • Bisexual

    59%
    67%

  • Gay

    56%
    62%

  • Lesbian

    62%
    71%

  • Pansexual

    70%
    75%

  • Queer

    63%
    72%

  • Unsure

    69%
    72%

  • Gender fluid

    70%
    76%

  • Nonbinary

    65%
    73%

  • Questioning

    66%
    74%

  • Cisgender men

    48%
    53%

  • Cisgender women

    56%
    68%

  • Transgender men

    71%
    75%

  • Transgender women

    69%
    70%


  • Diagnosed with autism or any disability

    68%
    75%

  • Not diagnosed with autism or any disability

    56%
    64%

  • Food-secure

    53%
    63%

  • Food-insecure

    75%
    78%

Rates of LGBTQ+ young people who ever self-harmed and self-harmed in the past year

Explore Data by:

  • White

    79%
    61%

  • Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups

    79%
    63%

  • Asian/Asian British

    73%
    56%

  • Black/Black British, Caribbean or African

    73%
    61%

  • Arab/Any other ethnic group

    77%
    61%

  • Asexual

    80%
    61%

  • Bisexual

    76%
    57%

  • Gay

    69%
    50%

  • Lesbian

    82%
    65%

  • Pansexual

    84%
    68%

  • Queer

    86%
    66%

  • Unsure

    82%
    69%

  • Gender fluid

    87%
    73%

  • Nonbinary

    86%
    67%

  • Questioning

    83%
    67%

  • Cisgender men

    57%
    38%

  • Cisgender women

    76%
    57%

  • Transgender men

    90%
    74%

  • Transgender women

    79%
    58%


  • Diagnosed with autism or any disability

    86%
    55%

  • Not diagnosed with autism or any disability

    73%
    68%

  • Food-insecure

    88%
    54%

  • Food-secure

    73%
    71%

Mental Health Care & Seeking Support

Despite the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and suicide risk among LGBTQ+ young people, most reported that they wanted mental health support, but did not receive this from "mainstream mental health services."


70% of LGBTQ+ young people reported that they received informal support for their mental health in the past year.

The most frequent sources of help were the Internet (29%), friends (14%), and romantic partners (11%) (not mental health services (4%)).

Share:

LGBTQ+ young people who received help in the past year attempted suicide at half the rate than those who asked for help but did not receive it (20% vs. 40%).

Share:

More than 1 in 5 LGBTQ+ young people (23%) did not ask for help for their mental health problems.

Share:

LGBTQ+ young people who received mental health care support in the past 12 months

Received support for your mental health in past 12 months

  • 23% Did not ask for help
  • 6% Asked for help, but did not receive help
  • 70% Received help (mostly from the Internet, friend, and romantic partners)

LGBTQ+ young people received support for their mental health problems from a range of sources

  • The Internet

  • Did not ask for help

  • Friend

  • Boyfriend/girlfriend/partner

  • Asked for help but did not receive help

  • Mental health professional

  • School personnel

  • Parent/carer

  • Other

  • Telephone/Text/Online helpline

  • Other family member

Suicide risk and self-harm among those receiving support

  • Considered suicide ever

    90%
    80%

  • Considered suicide in the past year

    77%
    61%

  • Suicide attempt ever

    54%
    35%

  • Suicide attempt in the past year

    40%
    20%

  • Self-harm ever

    94%
    82%

  • Self-harm in the past year

    78%
    64%

Risk Factors for Suicide Among LGBTQ+ Young People

Risk factors are elements that increase the risk of suicide or poor mental health for LGBTQ+ young people. Risk factors in this section include being subjected to conversion therapy, unsupportive schooling, homelessness, and anti-LGBTQ+ victimization and discrimination.

Risk Factors for Suicide Among LGBTQ+ Young People:

Conversion Therapy

16% of LGBTQ+ young people reported ever being threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy.

Share:

LGBTQ+ young people who reported being threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy had three times the rate of a past-year suicide attempt (42%)

compared to those who had never been threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy (14%).

Share:

Those who reported being threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy reported higher rates of self-harm in the past year (76%)

compared to those who had never been threatened or subjected to conversion therapy (57%).

Share:

LGBTQ+ young people who reported being threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy

Conversion therapy

  • 84% Never threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy
  • 7% Ever threatened with conversion therapy
  • 9% Ever subjected

LGBTQ+ young people in UK reporting considering suicide and suicide attempts past year and conversion therapy


  • Ever threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy

    76%
    42%

  • Not threatened with or subjected to conversion therapy

    55%
    14%

Housing and Homelessness

LGBTQ+ young people that have experienced homelessness have twice the rate of attempted suicide compared to those without homelessness experiences.

68% compared to 27%

Share:

LGBTQ+ young people in UK reporting considering suicide or attempting suicide and homelessness

  • Considered suicide ever

    93%
    75%

  • Considered suicide in the past year

    77%
    56%

  • Attempted suicide ever

    68%
    27%

  • Attempted suicide in the past year

    46%
    15%

12% of LGBTQ+ young people reported being homeless currently or in the past due to running away or being kicked out by their parents/caregivers.

Share:

Of those who had to run away or were kicked out, 29% said it was due to their LGBTQ+ identity.

Share:

LGBTQ+ young people who experienced homelessness attempted suicide in the past year at a higher rate (46%) than young people who had not experienced homelessness (15%).

Share:

Anti-LGBTQ+ Victimization & Discrimination

LGBTQ+ young people who experienced anti-LGBTQ+ victimization — including being physically threatened or harmed, or discriminated against due to their sexual orientation or gender identity — reported higher rates of attempting suicide and self-harm in the past year compared to those who did not have any of these negative experiences.

Physical Harm

23% of LGBTQ+ young people reported that they had been physically threatened or abused because of their sexual orientation in the past year.

37% of trans and nonbinary young people reported the same because of their gender identity.

Share:

Rates of LGBTQ+ young people who have been physically threatened or harmed in the past year

Have you felt physically threatened or been physically abused because of your sexual orientation in the past year?

  • 77% No
  • 23% Yes

Have you felt physically threatened or been physically abused because of your gender identity in the past year

  • 63% No
  • 37% Yes

Comparison of suicide consideration and attempts in the past year among LGBTQ+ young people who have been physically threatened or harmed due to their sexual orientation

  • Yes

    74%
    36%

  • No

    53%
    14%

Comparison of suicide consideration and attempts in the past year among LGBTQ+ young people who have been physically threatened or harmed due to their gender identity

  • Yes

    78%
    37%

  • No

    60%
    16%

Comparison of self-harm in the past year among LGBTQ+ young people who have been physically threatened or harmed due to their sexual orientation

  • Self-harmed in the past year

    75%
    56%

Comparison of self-harm in the past year among LGBTQ+ young people who have been physically threatened or harmed due to their gender identity

  • Self-harmed in the past year

    77%
    62%

Discrimination

66% of LGBTQ+ young people reported that they have felt discriminated against in the past year due to their sexual orientation.

68% reported the same due to their gender identity.

Share:

LGBTQ+ young people who felt discriminated against in the past year attempted suicide at a higher rate (25%) than those who did not (13%).

Share:

Trans and nonbinary young people who felt discriminated against because of their gender identity attempted suicide at a higher rate (29%) than those who did not (15%).

Share:

Rates of LGBTQ+ young people who have felt discriminated against in the past year

Have you felt discriminated against because of your sexual orientation in the past year?

  • 51% No
  • 66% Yes

Have you felt discriminated against because of your gender identity in the past year

  • 32% No
  • 68% Yes

LGBTQ+ young people who have felt discriminated against in the past year reported higher rates of attempting suicide and self-harm in the past year

Explore Data by:

  • Considered suicide in the past year

    51%
    66%

  • Attempted suicide in the past year

    13%
    25%

  • Symptoms of depression

    68%
    55%

  • Symptoms of anxiety

    62%
    76%

  • Self-harmed in the past year

    53%
    69%

  • Considered suicide in the past year

    72%
    56%

  • Attempted suicide in the past year

    29%
    15%

  • Symptoms of depression

    73%
    59%

  • Symptoms of anxiety

    78%
    63%

  • Self-harmed in the past year

    73%
    59%

Unsupportive Schools

34% of LGBTQ+ students reported that their classmates at school were not very accepting of LGBTQ+ people

and 7% said that their classmates were not at all accepting.

Share:

35% of LGBTQ+ students said that they missed at least one day of school because of fear of safety.

Share:

Spaces avoided at school because of safety concerns

How many days did you not go to school because of fear of unsafety

  • 65% 0 days
  • 8% 1 days
  • 12% 2 or 3 days
  • 5% 4 or 5 days
  • 10% 6 or more days

Do you avoid these spaces at school for fear of safety

  • Bathrooms

  • Changing rooms

  • School athletic fields or facilities

  • Cafeteria or lunchroom

  • Hallways/stariwells

  • I do not avoid any spaces at school

LGBTQ+ students who reported that their classmates or school staff were not accepting or supportive of LGBTQ+ people had higher rates of considering and attempting suicide and self-harm

  • Not at all accepting

    78%
    35%

  • Not very accepting

    67%
    25%

  • Neutral

    61%
    20%

  • Somewhat accepting

    58%
    18%

  • Very accepting

    53%
    13%

LGBTQ+ young people in the UK who report self-harm and pupils at school who are accepting of LGBTQ+ people

  • Not at all accepting

  • Not very accepting

  • Neutral

  • Somewhat accepting

  • Very accepting

LGBTQ+ young people in the UK who report considering and attempting suicide and staff at school who are supportive of LGBTQ+ people

  • Very unsupportive

    77%
    42%

  • Somewhat unsupportive

    79%
    33%

  • Neutral

    69%
    26%

  • Somewhat supportive

    64%
    20%

  • Very supportive

    52%
    16%

LGBTQ+ young people in the UK who report self-harm and staff at school who are unsupportive of LGBTQ+ people

  • Very unsupportive

  • Somewhat unsupportive

  • Neutral

  • Somewhat supportive

  • Very supportive

Protective Factors for LGBTQ+ Young People

Protective factors are elements that help lower the risk of suicide and poor mental health for LGBTQ+ young people. In this sample, protective factors included feeling supported and accepted by family members, trusted adults, and by people at school. For trans and nonbinary young people, access to gender-affirming tools and having people in their lives who respected their pronouns were also protective factors.

Protective Factors for LGBTQ+ Young People:

LGBTQ+ young people who reported having a trusted adult in their lives had significantly lower rates of considering or attempting suicide.

Share:

LGBTQ+ young people who reported living in a community that was accepting of LGBTQ+ people had lower rates of considering or attempting suicide and self-harming.

Share:

Trans and nonbinary young people who said a majority of the people in their lives respected their pronouns were less likely to consider suicide (62%) in the past year compared to those who did not (71%).

Share:

Family Support

69% of LGBTQ+ young people reported that they had a family member who was supportive of their sexual orientation.

Share:

50% of trans and nonbinary young people reported that they had a family member who was supportive of their gender identity.

Share:

Trans and nonbinary young people who reported having a family member who is supportive of their gender identity had a lower rate of considering suicide in the past year (67%)

compared to those without a supportive family member (68%)

Share:

Family support for LGBTQ+ young people

Explore Data by:

  • No

  • Yes, a parent/carer, sibling or other relative

  • No

  • Yes, a parent/carer, sibling or other relative

Trusted Adults

80% of LGBTQ+ young people reported that they had a trusted adult in their lives.

Share:

LGBTQ+ young people who reported having a trusted adult in their lives reported lower rates of considering suicide in the past year (54%) than those without a trusted adult (78%).

LGBTQ+ young people who reported having a trusted adult in their lives also reported lower rates of attempting suicide in the past year (16%) than those without a trusted adult (33%).

Share:

Who is the most trusted adult in your life?

  • Parent

  • None

  • Friend

  • Family member

  • Other

  • Teacher

  • Mental health practitioner

  • Youth worker

LGBTQ+ young people in UK who report considering and attempting suicide and trusted adult

Has a trusted adult in their life

  • Considered suicide ever

    75%
    90%

  • Considered suicide in the past year

    54%
    78%

  • Attempted suicide ever

    30%
    46%

  • Attempted suicide in the past year

    16%
    33%

Supportive Schools

53% of LGBTQ+ young people who were enrolled in school said that their school had a Gay/Straight or Gender/Sexuality Alliance (GSA).

Share:

LGBTQ+ young people reported lower rates of suicide attempts in the past year in schools with staff who were supportive of LGBTQ+ people (20%) or very supportive of LGBTQ+ people (16%)

compared to those who reported very unsupportive (42%) or somewhat unsupportive (33%) school staff.

Share:

Accepting Communities

LGBTQ+ young people who reported that the communities where they lived were accepting of LGBTQ+ young people had significantly lower rates of considering or attempting suicide and self-harming.

Considering (54%) and attempting suicide (16%) in the past year were lower for LGBTQ+ young people who reported living in an accepting community than for those who said they lived in unaccepting communities (70% and 27%, respectively).

Share:

How accepting of LGBTQ+ people is the community where you currently live?

  • 30% Not accepting
  • 70% Accepting

LGBTQ+ young people in the UK who report considering and attempting suicide and accepting communities

  • Not accepting

    70%
    27%

  • Accepting

    54%
    16%

Affirming Experiences & Space

LGBTQ+ young people who reported having access to experiences and spaces that affirmed their sexual orientation or gender identity had lower odds of considering or attempting suicide and self-harming.

The overwhelming majority of LGBTQ+ young people (98%) had at least one person in their life who was supportive of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Share:

Trans and nonbinary young people who had access to gender-affirming tools reported considering (65%) and attempting (23%) suicide at lower rates than trans and nonbinary young people who did not have access to gender-affirming tools (73% for considering and 28% for attempting suicide).

Share:

Trans and nonbinary young people who had most or all of the people in their lives respect their pronouns considered suicide in the past year at a lower rate (62%) than those who reported that none, a few, or some of the people in their lives respected their pronouns (71%).

Share:

Trans and nonbinary young people reported access to gender-affirming tools and respect for their pronouns

Do you have access to gender-affirming tools?

  • 8% No, and I don't whant them
  • 42% No, but I would like them
  • 33% Yes, I have access to a few
  • 17% Yes, I have access to most

People in their life that respect their pronouns

  • 5% None
  • 34% A few
  • 27% Some
  • 19% A lot
  • 15% All or Most

Where LGBTQ+ young people found affirming spaces

  • Online communities

  • School

  • Home

  • Community events

  • Work

  • A place of worship

  • Somewhere else

  • Nowhere

Trans and nonbinary young people who reported considering and attempting suicide and access to gender-affirming tools

  • No, but I would like them

    73%
    28%

  • Yes, I have access to a few or most

    65%
    23%

Methodology

The content and methodology for The Trevor Project’s 2024 United Kingdom Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People was approved by an independent Institutional Review Board in the United States and the University of Birmingham’s Humanities and Social Sciences Ethics Committee.

A quantitative cross-sectional design was used to collect data through an online survey platform between April 11, 2023 and May 18, 2023. A sample of individuals aged 13 to 24 who resided in the UK was recruited via targeted advertisements on social media. No recruitment advertisements were posted onto The Trevor Project’s website or social media accounts. Respondents were defined as being LGBTQ+ if they identified with a sexual orientation other than heterosexual, a gender identity other than cisgender, or both. Recruitment was monitored to ensure adequate sample sizes with respect to age, region, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Qualified respondents completed a secure online questionnaire that included a maximum of 77 questions.

Questions on considering and attempting suicide, as well as engaging in self-harm in the past year were taken from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (Johns et al., 2019; Johns et al., 2020). Questions regarding anxiety and depression were taken from the GAD-2 and PHQ-2, respectively (Lowe et al., 2005; Lowe et al., 2008). Our demographic questions about race and ethnicity were taken from the United Kingdom Office of National Statistics (Office of National Statistics, 2022).

Each question related to mental health and suicide was preceded by a message stating, “If at any time you need to talk to someone about your mental health or thoughts of suicide, please contact:” followed by a list of UK-based, LGBTQ+-affirming psychological chat and hotline services.

The McPin Foundation (https://mcpin.org/), a UK mental health research charity, facilitated an LGBTQ+ youth advisory group that provided feedback on survey design, recruitment methodology, and recruitment advertisements.

There were 37,893 respondents who consented to start the survey, whom we identified as unique respondents based on reported age, place of residence, sex assigned at birth, gender, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity, as well as a built-in duplicate identifier. Of those, 21,987 were excluded because their race or assigned sex at birth surpassed a quota. Additionally, 774 were ineligible based on age (younger than 13 or older than 24 years) and country of residence (i.e., outside of the UK). An additional 3,663 respondents were excluded for not meeting demographic requirements, such as not completing the demographic questions on sexual orientation and gender identity and not being LGBTQ+. An additional 1,594 were removed for either not reaching or passing the validity question, and 219 were excluded for taking the survey multiple times. This resulted in an eligible sample of 9,666 LGBTQ+ young people aged 13 to 24 in the UK.

Chi-square tests were used to examine statistical significance. Comparisons are statistically significant at p<0.05, which means there was a less than 5% likelihood of the results occurring by chance. Only statistically significant findings are included.

This research uses LGBTQ+ as an umbrella term for all non-cisgender and non-heterosexual young people. “Trans and nonbinary” is used as an umbrella term for all non-cisgender young people. This includes trans and nonbinary young people, as well as genders beyond the binary (e.g., genderqueer, agender, genderfluid, gender neutral, bigender).

Geographic regions are coded as follows: North East, North West, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands, East of England, London, South East, South West, and I don’t know.

Race categories are coded as follows: White, Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups, Asian/Asian British, Black/Black British, Caribbean or African, and Any other ethnic group [includes Arab].

Sample Breakdown of Respondents’ Demographics

Age categories

  • 36% 13 to 15
  • 38% 16 to 18
  • 26% 19 to 24

Race / ethnicity

  • 82% White
  • 8% Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups
  • 5% Asian/Asian British
  • 2% Black/Black British, Caribbean or African
  • 3% Arab/Any other ethnic group

Sexual orientation

  • 10% Asexual
  • 27% Bisexual
  • 15% Gay
  • 1% Heterosexual
  • 15% Lesbian
  • 13% Pansexual
  • 15% Queer
  • 5% Unsure

Gender identity

  • 7% Gender fluid
  • 21% Nonbinary
  • 12% Questioning
  • 16% Cisgender men
  • 23% Cisgender women
  • 15% Transgender men
  • 6% Transgender women

Birthplace

  • 8% Born outside of the UK
  • 92% Not born outside of the UK

Regions

  • 5% Wales
  • 10% Scotland
  • 3% Northern Ireland
  • 82% England

Regions in England

  • 5% Notrh East
  • 11% North West
  • 9% Yorkshire and The Humber
  • 8% East Midlands
  • 11% West Midlands
  • 5% East of England
  • 13% London
  • 19% South East
  • 13% South West
  • 7% I don't know

Food security

  • 38% Food-insecure
  • 62% Food-secure

Disability: Diagnosed with autism or any disability

  • 57% Diagnosed with autism or any disability
  • 43% Not diagnosed with autism or any disability

Acknowledgments

This research was led by The Trevor Project's Research Team in the United States, in collaboration with our academic partners Prof. Elizabeth McDermott, Dr. Jason Schaub, Dr. Willem Stander and Billy Reid at the University of Birmingham. The authors of this research acknowledge the contributions of the following individuals: Marissa Cohnen, Dr. Myeshia Price, Nolan Scott, Nathanio Strimpopulos, Paul Pham, Dr. Will Cole, Zach Eisenstein, Alfredo Pizaña, Igor Avilés, Megan Ford, Miranda Jaramillo, Nelson Fernandez and William Young. Special thanks are also extended to all the participants for their valuable time and insights. We are also grateful to The McPin Foundation for their feedback on survey design and recruitment materials.

Suggested citation:

McDermott, E., Schaub, J., Stander, W.J., Reid, B., Taylor, A.B., Eden, T., M., Hobaica, S., Kofke, L., Jarrett, B.A., Suffredini, K., & Nath, R. (2024). 2024 United Kingdom Report on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People. West Hollywood, California:
(c) The Trevor Project 2024

The authors acknowledge the contributions of the following individuals: Paul Pham, Alfredo Pizaña, Igor Avilés, Megan Ford, Miranda Jaramillo, Nelson Fernandez and William Young. Special thanks are also extended to all the participants for their valuable time and insights.