LGBTQ+ youth experience mental health challenges at higher rates than their straight, cisgender peers. That’s because they experience higher rates of prejudice, discrimination, and rejection, from society at large and sometimes from family members.
New research from the Trevor Project looks at the specific diagnoses reported by LGBTQ+ teens and young adults. The study found that an overwhelming number of the participants wanted mental healthcare, even when they didn’t have a diagnosis. Yet between 30 and 50 percent of them didn’t access treatment.
In this article, we look at the new statistics and examine the reasons why LGBTQ+ youth don’t receive they care they want and need.
New Research on LGBTQ+ Diagnoses
A study from The Trevor Project released in May 2025 shows that 65% of LGBTQ+ teens and young adults (ages 13–24) have at least one mental health diagnosis. Using data from nearly 19,000 participants, the study found that anxiety disorders were the most prevalent condition. Nearly half of the young people surveyed (47 percent) reported an anxiety diagnosis.
The second most common diagnosis was major depressive disorder (33 percent), followed by attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) at 30 percent. Other diagnoses reported included PTSD (14 percent), autism spectrum disorder (12 percent), eating disorders (10 percent), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (8 percent).
In many cases, participants had two or more co-occurring diagnoses. For example, 85 percent of participants with an anxiety disorder also had a diagnosis of major depression. And 70 percent of those with a PTSD diagnosis also had major depression, while 83 percent also had an anxiety disorder. In addition, trans youth were more likely than cisgender youth to have a diagnosis (71 percent vs. 57 percent), and white youth were more likely than youth of color to be diagnosed (71 percent vs. 55 percent).
Access to Care Among LGBTQ+ Youth
A large percentage of participants in the study wanted mental healthcare—whether or not they had a diagnosis. In fact, 89 percent of youth with one or more diagnoses wanted mental healthcare, while 76 percent of those without a diagnosis also reported wanting professional mental health services. This indicates that young people recognize their need for support and want to find help.
However, many of the LGBTQ+ youth in the study were unable to access care despite this desire. Those with two or more diagnoses who wanted care were more likely to receive it: Between 64 and 71 percent of this group reporting accessing services. But among those with one diagnosis, only half (49%) received care. And among those with no diagnosis who desired care, only 23 percent accessed services.
Future research should continue to explore how comorbid diagnoses, unmet care needs, and social marginalization interact to shape the mental health journeys of LGBTQ+ youth.
The Trevor Project
Why LGBTQ+ Young People Don’t Access Care
Another Trevor Project study, published in late 2024, looked at why youth who desire care don’t access it. Here are the five most common reasons LGBTQ+ teens and young adults don’t get the care they want and need.
1. Fear of Talking About Their Mental Health Concerns with Others
Among all survey participants, this was the most common reason cited for not accessing care, with 42 percent reporting fears of opening up about their mental health symptoms. Stigma around mental health issues and treatment, fear of negative repercussions, and difficulty expressing what they’re going through are all factors preventing young people from speaking to others about their struggles.
2. Unable to Afford Care
The cost of care is another significant barrier for LGBTQ+ young people. According to Mental Health America, 8.5 percent of youth nationwide don’t have health insurance that covers mental or behavioral issues. However, some young adults and families may not be aware that most insurance policies do provide coverage for mental health treatment. Here are some of the many companies Newport works with to cover the cost of treatment for our clients.
3. Don’t Want to Get Permission from a Parent or Caregiver
For some LGBTQ+ teens, talking to family members about their mental health issues feels incredibly scary. This might be due to a lack of trust between parent and child, the family’s religious or cultural beliefs, or a family culture in which emotions aren’t usually talked about. To help families create an affirming environment, download our guide for supporting LGBTQ+ children.
4. Afraid They Won’t Be Taken Seriously
This is another area in which family members can make an important impact, by prioritizing open communication, unconditional love, and non-judgment. It can be hard to tell the difference between typical teen behavior and mental health symptoms, and sometimes parents don’t want to believe their child is unhappy. But parents should always take young people’s concerns seriously and support them in accessing mental healthcare.
5. Scared of Having Police Called or Being Hospitalized Without Their Consent
Nearly half (46 percent) of transgender boys and men cited this fear as a significant obstacle preventing them from seeking care. This underlines the importance of providing compassionate, gender-affirming care for trans people, as well as education about the process of accessing care.
Newport’s Affirming Care for LGBTQ+ Young People
Newport is dedicated to providing gender-inclusive and LGBTQ+-affirming care. Our initiatives to support the LGBTQ+ community include partnering with The Trevor Project to provide support for their outreach and crisis prevention work. In addition, some 2,000 Newpor employees attended The Trevor Project’s in-depth Ally Training program, led by their public education team, in addition to specialized training for Newport clinicians to best support LGBTQ clients and families and provide inclusive, educated care.
Moreover, as part of our mission to empower young people and restore families, we rigorously collect and track data on our treatment outcomes, through the Newport Healthcare Center for Research and Innovation. Close to half of Newport’s clients identify as LGBTQ+, and these clients experience report higher rates of risk factors (such as bullying and sexual coercion) and more acute mental health symptoms. Nevertheless, our LGBTQ clients show significant improvement throughout the course of treatment in measures of depression, anxiety, suicidality, family connection, and well-being.