In this context, mental health care cannot be secondary or reactive: it is an urgent need and a collective responsibility. As 2025 draws to a close, The Trevor Project México sends a clear message: caring for the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth is an inescapable priority. 'That feeling of inevitable existential squeeze inevitably reflected in our services: more searches for emotional support, more young people asking if they have a future and if there is a place where they can live without fear,' states Edurne Balmori, executive director of The Trevor Project México. Recent data from the 2024 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Youth confirms this collective experience: 90% of LGBTQ+ youth reported that their well-being was negatively affected by anti-LGBTQ+ policies, and 45% of trans and non-binary youth said they or their families considered moving to another state to escape hostile laws. These figures speak to a profound impact that goes beyond the legal and settles into daily life, relationships, and life plans. In Mexico, although the regulatory context is different, LGBTQ+ youth are not immune to this global climate of polarization and rejection. Throughout 2025, the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth showed clear warning signs, as it was a particularly complex year for this population group. A combination of aggressive speeches from world leaders, public policy decisions, and constant messages of rejection and disinformation — amplified on the internet — have been part of creating a context in which the mere existence of some people became a topic of public debate. This hostile landscape is reflected in the increase in anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation among LGBTQ+ youth, as revealed by data from the Project SPARK Interim Report: A Longitudinal Study of Risk and Protective Factors in LGBTQ+ Youth Mental Health, the first longitudinal study published by The Trevor Project, the leading organization in suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ+ youth. The results are conclusive: the percentage of LGBTQ+ youth who reported recent anxiety symptoms increased from 57% to 68%; those who reported depressive symptoms rose from 48% to 54%; and suicidal ideation grew from 41% to 47%. Speeches that deny rights, question identities, or minimize the importance of mental health are replicated on social media and in public spaces, generating fear, isolation, and forced silences. Investing in accessible support services, evidence-based information, and narratives that recognize the dignity and value of every life not only saves lives but also builds a more just future. In a year marked by adversity, the resilience of these youth reminds us why it is essential to remain present, listening and accompanying, and for this reason, the leading suicide prevention NGO calls for uniting efforts through www.thetrevorproject.mx/dona. These figures reflect a sustained deterioration in the emotional well-being of a population that already faced structural inequalities and barriers to access to specialized support. To this picture are added institutional decisions that deepen uncertainty. Although these measures are discussed in another country, their symbolic and cultural impact transcends borders and feeds global narratives of exclusion. 'This year, many youth felt that their world became smaller: less safe schools, divided families, communities that do not understand their identity'.
