Newport Partners with The Trevor Project to Raise Awareness and Smash the Stigma of Mental Health Disorders

Each year, one in four young adults suffers from a diagnosable mental health disorder, with one in 10 experiencing a depressive disorder such as major depression. And 41 percent of young adults don’t get treatment for their mental health disorders, either through lack of access to care or lack of support in finding treatment. These statistics highlight the dire need for mental health awareness among young people, their parents, and society at large.

To support this need for awareness, Newport Healthcare—the parent company of Newport Institute for young adults and Newport Academy, our teen treatment program—is partnering with The Trevor Project to launch the #smashthestigma campaign.

During Mental Health Awareness Month in May and Pride Month in June, Newport Academy will match every dollar donated up to $13,000 in order to reach our goal of $26,000, which will support The Trevor Project’s mission to end suicide among LGBTQ youth.

Do you want to help #smashthestigma surrounding mental health issues?

Help change the lives of young people across the nation during Mental Health Awareness Month and Pride Month by donating today.

Donate

Newport Academy is our sister program that treats individuals ages 12–24 struggling with trauma, depression, anxiety, and co-occurring disorders.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health in College Students

College-age young adults have faced multiple stressors during the pandemic, including remote schooling, social isolation, being laid off, or having to defer college and go into the workforce sooner than they had planned. As a result, many young people are experiencing what’s known as languishing as they move back in with their parents and manage the dynamics of returning to their childhood homes. Moreover, because young adults are highly involved in activism, they were among the demographics most impacted emotionally by political unrest and racial injustice in 2020.

Consequently, it’s no surprise that young adults and college students are facing an alarming increase in mental health disorders, particularly anxiety and depression. In a 2020 Jed Foundation study, 63 percent of students said that their emotional health was worse than before COVID-19, with 56 percent of them feeling concerned with their own ability to manage their mental health. One in five of the students surveyed had had suicidal thoughts in the past month, and 68 percent said social isolation and loneliness were the primary causes of their mental health struggles.

The Trevor Project’s Focus on LGBTQ Suicide Prevention and Mental Health

The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning youth under 25. Along with offering free, confidential 24/7 crisis counseling for LGBTQ young people via phone, text, and chat, The Trevor Project also maintains TrevorSpace, the world’s largest safe space social networking site for LGBTQ youth.

In 2020, The Trevor Project released its National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health, compiling the responses of more than 40,000 LGBTQ youth in the United States, ages 13–24. Furthermore, the organization released reports on the impacts of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement on LGBTQ youth. All three reports offer specific insights into the experiences of LGBTQ youth—at work, in school, at home, and in the larger world.

Our hope is that by publicly sharing our resources and our support for them, LGBTQ youth will hear us loud and clear: that they are beautiful the way they are, that their lives are valuable, and that they are never alone.

Amit Paley
CEO & Executive Director, The Trevor Project

13 Reasons Why LGBTQ Youth Have a Higher Suicide Risk

The Trevor Project’s research reveals the following factors that contribute to the high rates of anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among LGBTQ youth.

1. Limited access to mental healthcare: 46 percent of survey respondents wanted psychological or emotional counseling from a mental health professional but were unable to receive it.
2. Being pushed to change who they are: Youth who reported that someone had tried to convince them to change their sexual orientation or gender identity, or that they had received conversion therapy, were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide.
3. Experiencing physical threats or harm as a result of their LGBTQ identity: 40 percent of trans and nonbinary youth and 30 percent of LGBTQ youth experience threats or harm, and those who are physically harmed are three times as likely to attempt suicide.
4. Discrimination: Youth who experienced discrimination due to their sexual orientation or gender identity were nearly four times as likely to attempt suicide. Moreover, 52 percent of Black LGBTQ youth reported discrimination based on their race or ethnicity.
5. Being homeless, being kicked out, or running away: 28 percent of LGBTQ youth who experienced housing instability reported a suicide attempt in the year prior to being surveyed.
6. Inability to express their identity due to pandemic-related isolation: 41 percent of LGBTQ youth, including more than half of transgender and binary teens and young adults, said that the pandemic had impacted their ability to express their identity.
7. Not being respected for who they are: Trans and nonbinary youth who reported not having their pronouns respected by all or most of the people in their lives attempted suicide at twice the rate of those who did have their pronouns respected.
8. Not feeling accepted by family: LGBTQ youth are 2.4 times more likely to report not being able to be themselves at home.
9. Spending time in unsupportive communities: Youth who attempted suicide were more likely to have experienced environments that were not LGBTQ-affirming, at school, at home, and/or at work. Black youth who did not have access to at least one LGBTQ-affirming space attempted suicide at 50 percent higher rates compared to Black youth with access.
10. Lack of support from friends, family, or a special person: 22 percent of youth who reported low levels of this type of support attempted suicide in the prior year, compared to 13 percent of those with higher levels of support.
11. Higher levels of loneliness and stress: In comparison with their straight, cis peers, LGBTQ youth are more likely to report feeling lonely, stressed, tired, and nervous.
12. Not being able to access gender-affirming clothing: Transgender and nonbinary youth with no access to binders, shapewear, or gender-affirming clothing reported higher rates of suicide attempts compared to those with access
13. Political strife: 86 percent of LGBTQ youth said that politics in 2020 had negatively impacted their well-being.

If you or someone you know is feeling suicidal, call the US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text START to 678-678 to access a Trevor crisis counselor, or instant message via TrevorChat at thetrevorproject.org/get-help-now.

Together, We Can Smash the Stigma and Raise Awareness for Youth Mental Health Issues

Newport Healthcare is addressing the youth mental health crisis by providing the highest-quality, integrated treatment for teens, young adults, and families. Our clinical model of care reveals and heals the underlying trauma and attachment wounds that catalyze depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior. We guide young people to build resilience, self-acceptance, and the tools that will help them thrive in the face of challenge.

Ultimately, individuals, families, and organizations must work together to save the lives of our youth. That’s why we’re matching every dollar donated to the #smashthestigma campaign up to $13,000 to support the vital work of The Trevor Project.

Sources:

The Trevor Project 2020 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health