LGBTQ youth mental health and COVID: where we are & next steps

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ) youth bear a disproportionate burden of mental health difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic relative to non-LGBTQ youth due to systemic disadvantages and barriers that LGBTQ youth uniquely face. Efforts in the US to minimize the pandemic’s impact are inadequate or impeded by a growing wave of anti-LGBTQ sentiment and legislation. As such, public health and policy play a crucial role in implementing necessary systemic change.