Understanding LGBTQ+ youth mental health in the UK

Action For Children’s Report on Understanding LGBTQ+ youth mental health in the UK

General local LGBTQ+ feedback:

• "Pronouns are so important!!! They are so important to so many queer kids' identities, And making mistakes is okay, that’s how you can learn”.
• LGBTQ+ young people have shared there is a lack of understanding about gender identity in schools/colleges.
• They have also shared it seems that teachers don’t know how to talk about gender identity and that sometimes bullying related to gender identity is ignored because teachers don’t know how to respond to it.
• Some young people have shared that they are transgender but are reluctant to share they are transgender to school/family/wider social circles and live as the gender they identify as because they don’t feel safe to be openly transgender. (e.g.‘it’s too much effort to explain it to people who don’t understand’.

Feedback received in April/May 2025 following the Supreme Court ruling was:

• Transgender and non-binary young people shared they were feeling less safe following the ruling (also influenced by media discourse)
• Young people (both transgender and cis-gender) shared that they would like more clarity on how the ruling impacted access to services and facilities for transgender young people (e.g. use of toilets and changing rooms, whether their gender identity would be recognised when accessing services)
• There was a particular concern re: police and the guidance around strip searches. CYA opened a question card for Surrey Police on how this guidance would be implemented (e.g. specific concern around transgender women being searched by male police officers)
• Young people shared that there is an increased need for safe inclusive spaces for young people, particularly social spaces and support groups for transgender and non-binary young people