Depression and Suicide Risk High Among LGBTQ+ Youth with Military Parents | North Carolina Governor's Working Group [NCGWG]

A new study has found that LGBTQ+ youth with parents in the military deal with significantly higher rates of mental health challenges and suicide risk than those with non-military parents. The Trevor Project, a nonprofit that has led suicide prevention efforts in the LGBTQ+ community since 1998, helped facilitate the study, which was based on nearly 35,000 survey responses collected between October and December 2020.

Researchers found LGBTQ+ youth with military parents reported 40% higher odds to attempt suicide than the non-miliary affiliated demographic. Additionally, LGBTQ respondents reported 14% higher odds of serious suicidal contemplations, while 17% indicated higher odds of anxiety. Depression and substance misuse rates were also higher among the military-affiliated group.