3 out 4 LGBTQ+ youths in PHL considered suicide—survey

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

[CONTENT WARNING: MENTIONS OF SUICIDE]

A new survey released ahead of World Mental Health Day on October 10 revealed that the majority of young members of the LGBTQ+ community in the Philippines have contemplated suicide.

According to the 2024 Philippines National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People, 75 percent of LGBTQ+ youth have seriously considered suicide at some point.

The survey showed that those aged 15 to 18 had a higher rate (78 percent) compared to those aged 19 to 24 (71 percent).

When grouped by sexual orientation, Pansexuals were the most likely to have considered suicide (86 percent), followed by Asexuals (85 percent), Lesbians (84 percent), Sexually fluid individuals (82 percent), Queer individuals (79 percent), those Questioning their orientation (78 percent), Bisexuals (72 percent), and Gay individuals (62 percent).

In terms of gender identity, Transgender men reported the highest rate (88 percent), followed by those who are Questioning (82 percent), Cisgender women (79 percent), Nonbinary individuals (78 percent), Transgender women (75 percent), and Cisgender men (62 percent).

The Human Rights Campaign defines sexual orientation as an “inherent or immutable enduring emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to other people,” while gender identity refers to one’s “innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both, or neither.”

In the past year, 59 percent of LGBTQ+ youth surveyed considered suicide, with those aged 15 to 18 (65 percent) showing a higher rate than those aged 19 to 24 (53 percent).

This was most prevalent among Pansexual (72 percent) and Sexually fluid (72 percent) respondents, followed by Asexuals (70 percent), Lesbians (68 percent), Queer individuals (65 percent), those Questioning their orientation (64 percent), Bisexuals (57 percent), and Gay individuals (44 percent).

Among gender identities, Transgender men reported the highest rate of suicidal thoughts in the past year (75 percent), followed by those Questioning (69 percent), Nonbinary individuals (65 percent), Cisgender women (63 percent), Transgender women (57 percent), and Cisgender men (43 percent).

Suicide Attempts

Nearly half (46 percent) of LGBTQ+ youth reported attempting suicide at some point, with 34 percent attempting suicide within the past year.

Among those aged 15 to 18, 48 percent had attempted suicide previously, with 38 percent attempting it in the past year. In the 19 to 24 age group, 41 percent reported prior suicide attempts, with 31 percent occurring in the past year.

In terms of sexual orientation, 59 percent of Pansexuals reported suicide attempts, followed by Sexually fluid individuals (56 percent), Lesbians (51 percent), Queer individuals (49 percent), Asexuals (47 percent), Bisexuals (46 percent), those Questioning (44 percent), and Gay individuals (33 percent).

For attempts in the past year, Sexually fluid individuals had the highest rate (48 percent), followed by Pansexuals (46 percent), Lesbians (41 percent), Bisexuals and Asexuals (34 percent each), and Queer and Questioning individuals (32 percent each).

Nonbinary individuals and those who were Questioning reported the highest overall suicide attempts (54 percent), followed by Transgender men (53 percent), Transgender women (52 percent), Cisgender women (45 percent), and Cisgender men (34 percent).

In the past year, 43 percent of Nonbinary individuals attempted suicide, followed by those who were Questioning (42 percent), Transgender women (41 percent), Transgender men (36 percent), Cisgender women (32 percent), and Cisgender men (23 percent).

The survey was conducted by The Trevor Project, a U.S.-based nonprofit, and is the first national survey focused on the mental health of LGBTQ+ young people in the Philippines.

It was conducted online in English, Tagalog, Cebuano, and Hiligaynon, with 5,515 participants recruited via targeted social media ads.

The National Mental Health Center has a 24/7 Crisis Hotline, which may be accessed through dialing 1553 or through mobile numbers 0917-899-8727 and 0919-057-1553.