All teens’ mental health and wellness are core to our mission at Joon. Along with millions of Americans, we celebrate Pride Month each June—the month that the 1969 Stonewall Uprising occurred. The uprising consisted of a series of riots, ignited after a police raid took place at the Stonewall Inn, a gay club in New York City. Stonewall is known as a breakthrough for the Gay Liberation Movement in the US.
Today, Pride Month has grown to encompass the entire LGBTQ+ community. This month commemorates the impact of the community on our history and society and serves as an opportunity for people to come out and proudly celebrate their identities in a supportive environment.
There is a widespread teen mental health crisis and LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately impacted. During Pride Month, and all year long, we want to share a collection of resources to help teens, parents, and allies. In a world that often stigmatizes people whose gender doesn’t fit society’s expectations, transgender, nonbinary, and other gender expansive youth can be at greater risk for self-harming behaviors such as disordered eating, cutting, suicide, and depression.
The Trevor Project’s 2023 US National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People found that 41% of LGBTQ+ people ages 13 to 24 reported seriously considering attempting suicide in the past year, while 14% made an attempt to take their own life. According to the CDC, LGBTQ+ youth are more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide than their heterosexual peers (cdc.gov).
This is not acceptable, and we need to support one another to live fulfilling lives. Your support can make a tremendous difference. An important study of transgender and non-binary teens showed that teens who perceived that their parents strongly support them in regards to their gender were 93% less likely to attempt suicide than teens who saw their parents as unsupportive. Some families have to consider their child’s physical safety in their communities more than others, but all families have to weigh the effects of their parenting approach on their child’s long-term psychological well-being.
Beyond the immediate family and parents, many of us are eager to help, and there are great resources available. It’s up to each and every one of us to support youth in our communities and change the cultural stresses weighing on LGBTQ youth. We encourage you to share these resources widely.
"If you wanna be someone's ally, but haven't been hit by stones being thrown at them, you aren't standing close enough to them yet." - Ethan Keller
For teens, young adults, and families facing LGBTQ+ related mental health challenges.
The following is a series of ideas and resources to help make a positive impact in others’ lives.
Our team at Joon is always here as a resource, and we have a broad team of therapists within the LGBTQ+ community available to provide evidence-based therapy for teens and young adults. Get matched with a therapist today.
