Correlations Revealed Between Conversion Therapy and Suicide

The Trevor Project has recently published a study showing the correlation between conversion therapy and suicide. Conversion therapy is the practice that attempts to change an individual’s sexual orientation through various forms. The practice mainly impacts youth and young adults. Common procedures include negative emotional and physically painful stimuli that make it so a person will correlate these feelings within their queer identity. 

The peer-reviewed study with the American Journal of Public Health surveyed over 1,500 people identifying with a queer identity. Of the total, 7 percent stated they have experienced sexual orientation change efforts, the majority of these attempts coming from religious leaders.

People who have undergone conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide and 2.5 times as likely to have reported a suicide attempt in the past year compared to folks who have not gone through forced change on their sexual orientation. 

“This study is the first to examine conversion therapy among LGBTQ youth, and it adds to the overwhelming consensus that conversion therapy is detrimental to mental health and a clear risk factor for suicide. It is in the best interest of public health for lawmakers to enact protections for LGBTQ young people against this dangerous practice and to increase access to LGBTQ-affirming mental health care,” says Doctor Amy E. Green, Director of Research at The Trevor Project

Despite conversion therapy being discredited by the American Psychological Association in 2007 as being ineffective, many U.S states do not have laws or protections against the practice. Currently, over 20 states lack laws banning the practice.

“Despite what some might think, the population of LGBTQ young people who report undergoing conversion therapy is not a monolith. LGBTQ youth with lower family incomes, from the South, whose parents use religion to say negative things about being LGBTQ, who are Hispanic/Latinx, and who are transgender or nonbinary were all overrepresented among youth who report undergoing conversation therapy. These data underscore that efforts to address this issue must take an intersectional approach,” says Doctor Myeshia Price-Feeney, research scientist at The Trevor Project.

Conversion therapy remains an issue largely impacting the LGBTQ community. If you need help and space to speak, be sure to reach out to The Trevor Project for assistance.