A new study has found that LGBTQ+ higher education students are more than three times as likely to have depression than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts.
Published in the Journal of American College Health, the study examined data from almost 500,000 respondents to the annual Healthy Minds Study, which tracked mental health in full-time students ages 18 to 35 from 2007 to 2022.
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“Our findings highlight a growing mental health crisis among LGBTQIA+ students that demands immediate attention,” says David Pagliaccio of the New York State Psychiatric Institute. “Academic institutions need to take urgent and proactive steps to address these alarming rises in depression that are affecting the lives of so many young adults, particularly among those who face unique challenges due to their sexual or gender identity.”
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The findings not only concluded that LGBTQ+ students are more likely to suffer from depression but also that six times the number of respondents identified as LGBTQ+ in 2022 compared to when the study launched 15 years prior.
The analysis also found that overall depression rates have increased among students but that LGBTQ+ students account for nearly half of those reporting depression despite making up only one-fifth of the group. LGBTQ+ students were also twice as likely to go to therapy but half as likely to go to family members for help.
The results are not surprising considering the hostile anti-LGBTQ+ climate being perpetuated by federal and state lawmakers. The Trevor Project’s 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People (which surveys youth ages 13 to 24) found a “significant association” between poor mental health and anti-LGBTQ+ victimization, including that the mental health of 90% of LGBTQ+ youth has been negatively affected by politics.
Additionally, a study published in September revealed that anti-transgender laws have a direct, causal relationship with youth suicide attempts and that attempted suicide rates increased by as much as 72% following the passage of such laws.
Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org. The Trans Lifeline (1-877-565-8860) is staffed by trans people and will not contact law enforcement. The Trevor Project provides a safe, judgement-free place to talk for youth via chat, text (678-678), or phone (1-866-488-7386). Help is available at all three resources in English and Spanish.
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