The Wisconsin Office of Children’s Mental Health has published a new fact sheet detailing how the community can help improve the quality of life for LGBTQ youth.
The fact sheet acknowledges that LGBTQ youth experience higher rates of mental health disorders, especially from discrimination. That's further compounded because LGBT youth have limited or no access to mental health care, the fact sheet says.
According to the new fact sheet:
- 46.7% of LGBT youth report experiencing dating or sexual violence.
- 43.8% of LGBT youth report experiencing bullying.
- 42% of Wisconsin’s transgender or nonbinary youth considered suicide and 20% attempted suicide.
The office also found that youth who had their pronouns used correctly by others had lower rates of suicide attempts compared to those who did not - and that using a youth’s chosen name reduces suicide attempts by 65% and depression symptoms by 71%.
The fact sheet identifies a number of things people can do to help, including:
- Parents can participate in an education group and learn more from resources such as The Trevor Project and GLAAD.
- Schools can create support organizations, clubs, and safe spaces for LGBT youth such as a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA), which is a student-led group that connects LGBT youth and allies.
- Policymakers can fund youth peer-led support groups such as Sources of Strength and Hope Squad to reduce risk of suicide.
- Communities can engage local agencies in promoting safe spaces and providing basic needs by fostering partnerships that value diversity and inclusion.
Read the fact sheet below:
