JUL. 2, 2024

By Brian Dick

LGBTQ+ people are 2.5 times more likely to have depression and anxiety than heterosexual individuals, while LGBTQ+ youth have higher rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. These differences are due to the stigma, biases, and discrimination experienced by LGBTQ+ individuals, including states passing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. 

Anti-LGBTQ+ legislation--limiting LGBTQ+ individuals' ability to foster or adopt children, banning gender-affirming care for minors, book bans, forced outings in schools, and other actions--is growing, with over 100 anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed in the last 5 years and more than 500 introduced in the 2024 legislation session. 

"We know that living in a community that is safe, affirming and accepting of who you are, directly correlates to lower rates of suicide to better mental health outcomes," Casey Pick, director of law and policy for the Trevor Project, told ABC News.

Read the entire story at ABC News

For more information, see NAMI's Mental Health Inequities: LGBTQI Bigotry and Discrimination