June is Pride Month, and now more than ever, it’s crucial to highlight mental health in the LGBTQ+ community – specifically transgender youth.

Right now, there are more than 115 bills under consideration in state legislatures across the country that directly target transgender people. Every day in the U.S., trans and gender-expansive children see a society that questions their existence, validity, and right to a happy, healthy life. This type of societal discord lowers self-esteem and confidence and increases shame and self-hatred.

Youth who are transgender have a gender identity different from their sex assigned at birth, whereas cisgender youth have a gender identity that aligns with their sex assigned at birth. Trans youth face a variety of barriers when it comes to accessing quality care. One such barrier is the ability to find culturally competent providers. Social workers, therapists, nurses, doctors, and anyone else providing care to people must understand how to best treat trans people and how their actions deeply affect the mental health of trans youth.

Even one bad experience with a non-affirming provider can be traumatic enough to keep a child from going to routine preventative visits or seeking help when they need it. This leads to poor outcomes for trans youth. About 60 percent of trans youth report having a long-term mental health problem. This is three times more than cisgender youth (Rider, et al., 2018).

The need for gender-affirming care is at the top of the list of ways to improve mental health outcomes for trans youth. Research shows that transgender children who receive gender-affirming medical care earlier in life are less likely to experience mental health conditions like depression and anxiety (Sorbara, et al., 2020). Another study surveyed more than 20,000 transgender people and found that 90 percent of trans adults who wanted, but could not access, puberty blockers as children experienced suicidal thoughts (Turban et al., 2020).

Transgender youth are disproportionately affected by depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide. Many factors play a role in these statistics, including lack of access to adequate care, untreated gender dysphoria (the discomfort or distress that may occur in people whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth), ongoing stress and trauma from having non-affirming people around them (e.g., family, teachers, peers, etc.), harassment or discrimination, and societal norms that don’t include them.

As more research emerges, we will start to see more clearly what factors are associated with better versus worse mental health outcomes for trans youth. What is known, is that access to gender-affirming care and having positive adults, including parents, teachers, mentors, and providers who affirm their identities lead to better mental health outcomes for trans youth.  

So, what can you do?

• Self-Educate: It’s okay to have questions or not know how to properly support someone. You have the opportunity every day to educate yourself and learn how to be a better ally.

• Affirm: It costs nothing to affirm and respect a young trans person’s identity. Addressing a trans person by the correct name and pronouns is an easy way to show respect and allyship. If you’re unsure of someone’s pronouns (most often she/her, he/him, or they/them), it’s okay to ask, “What pronouns do you use?” Or offer up your own when entering a conversation: “Hi, I’m Cami and I use she/her pronouns, how about you?”

• Advocate: As policy attacks on transgender people continue, we must all work together to advocate for this community. This is not a political issue; this is a human issue. We can stand together and speak out on the need for quality care for transgender youth and the science showing how this affects their mental and physical health. Oftentimes, showing your support can be as easy as giving your name and email – see how you can take action with the National Center for Transgender Equality here.

• Spread the knowledge: We can change hearts and minds through honest, genuine conversation. Once you’ve taken the time to educate yourself, don’t hold all that knowledge in! Choose to speak out and talk to family, friends, co-workers, and colleagues about how to be allies and advocates for trans youth. If you see a young person being treated poorly or hear someone saying something you know isn’t accurate, have the courage to be an ally. Being a true ally requires action.

LGBTQ+ Mental Health Resources

Here For Texas Mental Health Navigation Line
A free helpline offering guidance, information, and resources for mental health and addiction. Whether you’re seeking resources for yourself or for someone else, call 972-525-8181 Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Se habla Español.
granthalliburton.org/navline

The Trevor Project
A 24/7 LGBTQ Crisis Lifeline
866-488-7386 or text START to 678678
trevorproject.org

Trans Lifeline
A 24/7 helpline run by and for the trans community
877-565-8860
translifeline.org

Resource Center’s Youth First Program
Virtual programming for LGBTQ youth ages 12 to 18 via Zoom, facilitated by trained staff.  myresourcecenter.org/youthfirst

QChatSpace
Offers online discussion groups for LGBTQ teens ages 13 to 19, facilitated by trained adults at LGBTQ centers around the country.
qchatspace.org 

The Validation Station
Sends validating text messages daily to transgender and gender-diverse youth.
Sign up with your name, pronouns and phone number.
validationstation.net

By Cami Fields, LMSW
Director of Outreach and Education