Mental health and suicidality among Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth
- 1Department of Applied Psychology in Education & Research Methodology and Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, 201 N Rose Ave, Bloomington, IN 47405 USA
- 2The Trevor Project, PO Box 69232, West Hollywood, CA 90069 USA
Abstract
Background: Suicide is a growing public health concern among youth. Despite historically reporting low rates of suicidality, Black youth now represent the fastest growing suicide rate, warranting immediate attention for salient and culturally-relevant prevention and intervention strategies. Because Black youth populations consist of diverse groups who bring distinct risk and protective factors shaped by their lived experiences, the goal of the present study was to better understand mental health and suicidality among Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth using a strengths-based intersectional approach.
Methods: Responses were analyzed from a national U.S. sample of 3,008 Black LGBTQ+ youth aged 13 and 24 years, including 1,717 Black transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) youth.
Results: The rates of mental health and suicide indicators were high among Black LGBTQ+ youth, with nearly half (49%) reporting seriously considering suicide in the past year. However, there were significant disparities between Black TGNB youth and their cisgender LGBQ+ peers. Structural influences were associated with all mental health indicators and this did not differ as a function of gender identity. Additionally, disparities in other mental health indicators between Black TGNB youth and their Black cisgender LGBQ+ peers were mitigated when Black TGNB youth had access to a gender-affirming home.
Conclusions: The findings highlight the need to directly address the unique issues facing Black LGBTQ+ youth, and specifically Black TGNB youth, by advancing antiracism alongside gender-inclusive policies, while also finding ways to build upon existing strengths within the Black community to support youth.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28688-0.
Related
- Development of a family functioning measure for Hispanic lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents.
- Referrals for suicidality to a UK child and adolescent mental health service: an evaluation of the policy and practice context of response to suicidal young people.
- The Escalating Cost of Disinvestment in the Health of Transgender Youths—From Research Retrenchment to the Criminalization of Care
- Co-designing a digital health resource for transgender and gender diverse older adults
- National Institutes of Health Funding for Research About Transgender and Nonbinary Youths
BibTeX
@article{price2026mental,
title = {{Mental health and suicidality among Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth}},
author = {Myeshia N. Price and Ronita Nath and Derrick D. Matthews and Tiffany M. Eden},
journal = {BMC Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-28688-0},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28688-0},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mental health and suicidality among Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth
AU - Myeshia N. Price
AU - Ronita Nath
AU - Derrick D. Matthews
AU - Tiffany M. Eden
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/13
JO - BMC Public Health
DO - 10.1186/s12889-026-28688-0
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28688-0
AB - Background: Suicide is a growing public health concern among youth. Despite historically reporting low rates of suicidality, Black youth now represent the fastest growing suicide rate, warranting immediate attention for salient and culturally-relevant prevention and intervention strategies. Because Black youth populations consist of diverse groups who bring distinct risk and protective factors shaped by their lived experiences, the goal of the present study was to better understand mental health and suicidality among Black lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth using a strengths-based intersectional approach. Methods: Responses were analyzed from a national U.S. sample of 3,008 Black LGBTQ+ youth aged 13 and 24 years, including 1,717 Black transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) youth. Results: The rates of mental health and suicide indicators were high among Black LGBTQ+ youth, with nearly half (49%) reporting seriously considering suicide in the past year. However, there were significant disparities between Black TGNB youth and their cisgender LGBQ+ peers. Structural influences were associated with all mental health indicators and this did not differ as a function of gender identity. Additionally, disparities in other mental health indicators between Black TGNB youth and their Black cisgender LGBQ+ peers were mitigated when Black TGNB youth had access to a gender-affirming home. Conclusions: The findings highlight the need to directly address the unique issues facing Black LGBTQ+ youth, and specifically Black TGNB youth, by advancing antiracism alongside gender-inclusive policies, while also finding ways to build upon existing strengths within the Black community to support youth. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-026-28688-0.
SN - 1471-2458
ER -