Breaking down the information: What does the 2025 U.S. National Survey say about transgender well being care?

The Trevor Project’s 2025 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People analyzed the experiences of greater than 16,000 LGBTQ+ younger folks ages 13 to 24 throughout the United States. The survey covers an array of threat elements, protecting elements, and day-to-day experiences that affect LGBTQ+ younger folks’s psychological well being and well-being. This weblog put up provides a deeper dive into the information – and provides a breakdown of what the 2025 U.S. National Survey exhibits concerning the subject of transgender healthcare.

What is transgender healthcare?

Transgender healthcare is an umbrella time period encompassing a variety of ​healthcare therapies to assist align an individual’s physique with their gender.

Not all transgender or nonbinary folks really feel the necessity to use transgender healthcare to vary their our bodies, however many use therapies corresponding to hormone substitute remedy or gender-affirming surgical procedure to lower gender dysphoria, which is the medical prognosis for when a transgender particular person’s inner sense of their gender doesn’t match their intercourse at delivery. This is extra widespread for transgender or nonbinary adults, whereas the variety of younger individuals who report receiving this care is comparatively small. Many of the therapies which make up transgender healthcare are additionally utilized by cisgender (or non-transgender) folks to assist their bodily and psychological well being, corresponding to hormone substitute remedy getting used to deal with low testosterone or signs of menopause. 

Many folks haven’t heard about the sort of care till very just lately – however it’s nothing new. Transgender healthcare has been supplied for many years,¹ based mostly on scientific analysis and supported by main medical and psychological well being associations.^2,3

How does receiving transgender healthcare affect psychological well being amongst transgender and nonbinary younger folks?

A rising physique of medical and scientific literature is documenting the optimistic results of transgender healthcare on the psychological well being of transgender and nonbinary youth and adults. Transgender and nonbinary younger individuals who have acquired desired hormone substitute remedy (the most typical type of transgender healthcare) report decrease charges of despair and suicide threat.^4,5 In addition there are optimistic advantages, corresponding to elevated physique satisfaction, common well-being, and improved high quality of life.^6-8

What occurs to transgender and nonbinary younger folks’s psychological well being when entry to transgender healthcare is restricted? 

Various states have moved to limit transgender and nonbinary younger folks’s entry to transgender healthcare in recent times. As of May 2026, 26 states and one U.S. territory have legal guidelines banning transgender healthcare for younger folks.⁹ 

New analysis from The Trevor Project’s 2025 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People exhibits the unfavorable results of proscribing this greatest apply medical care on the psychological well being of transgender and nonbinary younger folks. Less than half (44%) of TGNB younger individuals who needed to take hormones to assist their gender transition or expression had been in a position to entry them. TGNB younger individuals who had been unable to entry the hormones they needed had been practically twice as more likely to try suicide than those that might (15% vs. 8%).

Even in states the place youth entry to transgender healthcare shouldn’t be banned, transgender and nonbinary younger persons are scared about shedding entry and experiencing boundaries to getting the care they want. The overwhelming majority (87%) of TGNB younger individuals who use hormones to assist their gender transition or expression had been considerably or very involved about shedding entry to this care. Most (75%) TGNB younger folks with entry to transgender well being care stated they skilled some or many difficulties in accessing their care.The high three cited boundaries are points with insurance coverage protection, lengthy wait instances for appointments, and lack of educated suppliers within the younger particular person’s native space. 

How are you able to assist transgender and nonbinary younger folks? 

Research from The Trevor Project has constantly proven that among the greatest methods to assist transgender and nonbinary younger persons are: to belief that they know who they’re, rise up for them, and respect their identify and pronouns.^10,11

For extra details about supporting transgender and nonbinary younger folks in your life, try our Resource Center and guides like “Understanding Gender Identities & Pronouns” and “Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender and Nonbinary Young People.”

References

• Green, A. E., DeChants, J. P., Price, M. N., & Davis, C. Okay. (2021). Association of gender-affirming hormone remedy with despair, ideas of suicide, and tried suicide amongst transgender and nonbinary youth. Journal of Adolescent Health, 70(4), 643–649.
  
• Tordoff, D. M., Wanta, J. W., Collin, A., Stepney, C., Inwards-Breland, D. J., & Ahrens, Okay. (2022). Mental well being outcomes in transgender and nonbinary youths receiving gender-affirming care. JAMA Netw Open, 5(2), e220978.
• Achille, C., Taggart, T., Eaton, N.R. et al. (2020). Longitudinal affect of gender-affirming endocrine intervention on the psychological well being and well-being of transgender youths: preliminary outcomes. Int J Pediatr Endocrinol 2020, 8.
  
• Allen, L. R., Watson, L. B., Egan, A. M., & Moser, C. N. (2019). Well-being and suicidality amongst transgender youth after gender-affirming hormones, Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 7, 3, 302-311. https://doi.org/10.1037/cpp0000288  

• Croteau, T. A., Gelech, J., Morrison, M. A., & Morrison, T. G. (2025). Psychological and bodily well being outcomes related to gender-affirming medical look after transgender and gender-diverse youth: A essential overview. Healthcare, 13 (14), 1659. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13141659 

• Movement Advancement Project. (2026). Bans on Best Practice Medical Care for Transgender Youth.
• Nath, R., Matthews, D.D., DeChants, J.P., Hobaica, S., Clark, C.M., Taylor, A.B., Muñoz, G. (2024). 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People. West Hollywood, California: The Trevor Project. www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2024
• Nath, R., Matthews, D.D., Hobaica, S., DeChants, J.P., Eden, T. M.,, Taylor, A.B., & Suffredini, Okay. (2026). 2025 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People. West Hollywood, California: The Trevor Project.