The Trevor Project’s first-ever longitudinal study, Project SPARK, followed over 1,600 LGBTQ+ youth (ages 13-24) from September 2023 to March 2025, revealing a worsening mental health crisis. Over the one-year period, mental distress increased substantially: anxiety symptoms rose from 57% to 68%, depressive symptoms climbed from 48% to 54%, and suicidal ideation grew from 41% to 47%.
Transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) youth reported the poorest outcomes, being nearly twice as likely to report anxiety and suicidal ideation compared to cisgender peers. The report links this decline to high rates of victimization; for instance, two-fifths of TGNB youth reported being physically harassed or threatened due to their gender identity. Additionally, reports of youth being threatened with conversion therapy doubled, and exposure to these harmful practices climbed from 9% to 15%.
Conversely, the study found that protective factors like feeling supported at school, seeking help from mental health professionals (which doubled), and turning to friends significantly improved mental health and reduced suicide risk over time. The findings underscore that discrimination risks lives, while affirming that support is crucial for the safety of LGBTQ+ youth.
