Health

A third of pansexual young people face daily tension at home – Gay Times Magazine

According to Just Like Us, a third (31%) of young pansexual people are experiencing daily tension at home.

As part of a larger report into inclusive education and the experiences of queer students, the charity for LGBTQ+ youth conducted several surveys across 375 schools in the UK, which saw 2,934 pupils aged 11-18 take part.

Of the pupils surveyed, 1,140 said they identified as LGBTQ+.

According to their research, the number of pansexual people facing “daily tension” at home, such as arguments with family, is a significantly higher number than most young LGBTQ+ people generally (25%) and non-LGBTQ+ people (15%).

The majority (67%) of young pansexual students admitted to having suicidal thoughts or feelings, while half said they’ve experienced depression (47%) and anxiety disorder (51%).

Only 53% of young pansexual young people said they have felt safe in school on a daily basis in the past 12 months – compared to 58% of young LGBTQ+ people generally and 73% of non-LGBTQ+ people.

When it comes to their future, 14% of young pansexual people have never felt positive. Again, this is a higher statistic than young bisexual students (10%) and students who aren’t LGBTQ+ (5%).

One in five (20%) young pansexual people also admitted to having an eating disorder, and a third (32%) said they’ve self-harmed.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, six in 10 (59%) young pansexual people said their mental health has worsened, and half (52%) said they’ve felt isolated from the people they’re closeted to.