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New Data: Deaf* LGBTQ Youth at Much Higher Risk of Depression, Suicide

New Data: Deaf* LGBTQ Youth at Much Higher Risk of Depression, Suicide

LGBTQ youth

When discussing the mental health outcomes associated with being LGBTQ, along with their access to support and resources, it’s crucial to include all members of the community. A new report from LGBTQ advocacy organization The Trevor Project provides more insight around the experience of Deaf* LGBTQ youth, revealing that they are at much higher risk of depression and suicide attempts than their hearing peers.

(Note that this report uses Deaf* with a capital D to refer to the community and culture developed by and for deaf people. This specific styling is meant to include all forms for deafness: medical and non-medical perspectives, Hearing Impaired, Deafblind, and others.)

The report draws from data from the organization’s 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, and found that a startling 81% of Deaf* respondents reported recent depression, compared to 68% of hearing respondents. More than half of Deaf* youth (55%) also reportedly seriously considering suicide over the past year, compared to 39% of hearing youth. The report also shows that more than a fourth (26%) of Deaf* youth actually attempted suicide in the past year, nearly double the figure for hearing youth.

More than half of Deaf* respondents also reported experiencing discrimination in the past year due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, compared to 43% of hearing youth. A quarter of Deaf* youth also said they “struggled or were unable to meet their basic needs,” compared to 14% of hearing youth.

The report points to the intersection between being LGBTQ and Deaf*, further referencing the need for this research and these conversations.

“Although being Deaf* is considered a disability by the Americans with Disabilities Act, many Deaf* people do not consider it a disability but simply a way of existing and communicating which is marginalized by the larger society,” the report reads. “’Audism’ describes the systematic marginalization of Deaf* people through discrimination, bias, and exclusion. Just as anti-LGBTQ bias contributes to minority stress and impacts the mental health of LGBTQ people, audism contributes to minority stress and poor mental health among Deaf* individuals.”

While the data is admittedly disheartening and hard to take in, the report notes that one way to mitigate this demographics suicide rate comes with family support. Deaf* respondents with high levels of family support were about half as likely to report considering (0.56 times) or attempting (0.49 times) suicide in the past year. Though, Deaf* youth were also less likely (35%) to receive this support from their families compared to hearing youth (27%).

The report concludes, “These data demonstrate the need for more Deaf* inclusion in family support programming for LGBTQ youth and their families. LGBTQ spaces and organizations must be more accessible to Deaf* community members, including having ASL interpretation at community events, training staff to serve Deaf* people, explicitly mentioning support for Deaf* people on websites and promotional materials, hiring Deaf* staff, participating in Deaf* advocacy, building relationships with organizations that serve Deaf* people, and promoting the voices of Deaf* LGBTQ people.”

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