Survey: LGBTQ+ Youth Face High Depression, Anxiety Rates

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

A recently released survey revealed that more than half of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) youth have been experiencing depression and anxiety, with many manifesting intentions of self-harm.

The 2024 Philippines National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People, released in time for World Mental Health Day on October 10, found that among LGBTQ+ youths aged 15 to 24, 62 percent reported symptoms of both depression and anxiety within two weeks of being surveyed.

Among these, 65 percent of those aged 15 to 18 experienced depression, and 64 percent reported anxiety. For 19 to 24-year-olds, 59 percent experienced anxiety, and 58 percent reported depression.

The survey also highlighted high rates of self-harm and suicidal thoughts among LGBTQ+ youth, with 75 percent saying they considered self-harm in the past year, and 59 percent admitting to actually engaging in self-harm.

For both age groups, more than half considered and acted on self-harm in the past year. Among 15 to 18-year-olds, 80 percent considered self-harm, and 68 percent actually did it, while 69 percent of 19 to 24-year-olds had thoughts of self-harm, with 53 percent following through.

ACCESS TO CARE

The survey revealed that while 77 percent of LGBTQ+ youth expressed a desire to seek therapy at some point in their lives, only 15 percent managed to do so, and within that group, only 7 percent found it helpful.

Over the past 12 months, 82 percent expressed a need for mental health care, but only 9 percent received it, with 73 percent unable to access the care they needed.

Those who found therapy helpful had lower suicide risks compared to those who didn’t. LGBTQ+ youth who reported helpful care had slightly lower considerations of suicide at any point in their lives (82 percent) and in the past 12 months (63 percent), compared to those who found it unhelpful (75 percent and 63 percent, respectively).

A similar pattern was observed with suicide attempts, where those who found care helpful had lower rates of attempts at any previous time (58 percent) and in the past 12 months (39 percent), compared to those who didn’t find it helpful (67 percent and 51 percent, respectively).

The 2024 Philippines National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People is the first nationwide survey focusing on LGBTQ+ youth. It was spearheaded by The Trevor Project, a California-based nonprofit, and the Psychological Association of the Philippines LGBT Psychology Special Interest Group.

The survey polled 5,500 LGBTQ+ individuals aged 15 to 24 through targeted social media advertising, with questionnaires available in English, Tagalog, Cebuano, and Hiligaynon.