40% of LGBTQ+ youth have considered suicide, new CDC study finds

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LGBTQ+ youth experience greater rates of mental health issues and are more likely to consider and attempt suicide, a new survey from the Center for Disease Control (CDC), has found.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey was published on Tuesday, and the findings surrounding queer youth are disheartening. In addition to the results about suicidal ideation and low mental health, queer youth were also more likely to misuse prescription opioids and to experience violence.

Dr. Kathleen Ethier, director of the CDC’s division of adolescent and school health, told ABC News that “Across all of those outcomes that we looked at, experience of violence, poor mental health and suicidal thoughts and behaviors, we do see this really significant disparity between LGBTQ+ young people and their cisgender and heterosexual peers.”

“That has been the case for a while,” she added.

The study, which occurred in 2023, surveyed…

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Editor’s note: This article mentions suicide. If you need to talk to someone now, call the Trans Lifeline at 1-877-565-8860. It’s staffed by trans people, for trans people. The Trevor Project provides a safe, judgment-free place to talk for LGBTQ youth at 1-866-488-7386. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.