Weeks ago, college campuses around the country started closing their doors to curb the spread of the coronavirus. And it's unlikely that the weeks and months to come will bring an end to both the pandemic, and the difficulties faced by students navigating a dramatically different campus (and world).

Amid all the problems exacerbated by school closures, mental health support for LGBTQ students remains crucial, but potentially harder to access, according to experts consulted by Mashable.

Everyone's mental health should be a priority right now: The isolation necessary to flatten the curve, the process in which protective measures are taken in order to ensure the number of cases doesn't overwhelm the capacity of the healthcare system, takes a psychic toll on those obeying mandated social distancing as well as those in states with stay-at-home orders, a toll that may last after the pandemic gets under control.

For LGBTQ youth, there are increased risks associated with campus closures and the isolation that comes with it, which can cut them off from key mental health resources, according to Dr. Tia Dole, the chief clinical operations officer at the Trevor Project, a LGBTQ crisis intervention support network.

In addition to lacking the support provided by peers and campus LGBTQ centers, some students, if they attend school away from home, might be returning to unwelcoming home environments. This can have a disastrous impact on mental health: According to recent research from the Trevor Project, over 25 percent of LGBTQ youth who lacked an accepting adult in their life reported attempting suicide in the previous year. LGBTQ youth who did have at least one accepting adult in their life were 40 percent less likely to report a suicide attempt in the previous year. Additionally, Dole notes that many students first embrace their LGBTQ identity in college, whether by finally getting others to use their proper pronouns or by first sharing this identity with others. As such, returning home on such short notice and being physically cut off from the campus community can halt a natural developmental process where young people form their identities within a supportive community.

COVID-19, the official term for the disease caused by the virus, is already impacting the way LGBTQ youth engage with mental health resources: A Trevor Project representative told Mashable via email that nearly 20 percent of its crisis contacts from LGBTQ youth in the last week have mentioned COVID-19.

Mashable talked to Dr. Dole, and Ellen Kahn, the senior director of programs and partnerships at LGBTQ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign to get insight on how to give LGBTQ college students the mental health support they need right now. We also spoke with Grant Gebetsberger and Marley Hillman, two students at Tufts University, to determine what worked best for them and the LGBTQ community at their school. They organized a mutual aid system on their campus as it shut down in order to help connect students to housing, food, storage, and transportation. They then faced their own mental health struggles when they had to leave. For everyone engaging with LGBTQ college students today, here's how they recommended helping out.

Fellow LGBTQ students

If you're currently socially distancing, you've probably already noticed one thing: It can be incredibly isolating. Some LGBTQ students with closed campuses might be feeling this isolation on two additional fronts, Kahn notes. Students returning home to unsupportive households can feel socially isolated within their family unit, while students who stayed on or near campus and are now alone, can feel isolated from their family, friends, and school community.

On top of that, HRC notes that some students might not have anywhere to turn. Their only alternative housing might be a potentially unsafe or abusive home. Or they could be facing job loss, which exacerbates housing insecurity for an already vulnerable population. The organization provided resources for students in this situation in a Twitter thread. HRC recommends talking with your student affairs department to arrange temporary housing, which some colleges are allowing on a case-by-case basis, as well as looking to your local LGBTQ center for other resources and housing support.

For all LGBTQ youth facing compounded mental health struggles right now, Dole, Kahn, Gebetsberger, and Hillman stressed a similar message: Make sure you're still maintaining a sense of community that you found while on campus with others.

To that end, Dole and Kahn suggest moving your on-campus support systems online. Dole recommends that campus LGBTQ centers hold Google hangouts, group phone calls, and Zoom meetings, and that students connect with their friends regularly through video and phone calls.

Hillman and Gebetsberger, the Tufts students, have found these efforts effective.

"I think one thing that has been really heartening is that everybody has been virtually checking on each other," Hillman said. "It shows the strength and importance of community care."

Gebetsberger says calling friends on FaceTime or sending Snapchats at particularly mundane times, like when eating lunch, has really helped him retain a sense of normalcy. It feels like casually hanging out with friends at school, he explains. And, of course, there are always memes.

"Meme pages that I'm in have been blowing up," Gebetsberger said. "It really helps to laugh."

For all the support that LGBTQ students might be giving to each other through sharing memes and sending Snapchats, Kahn, Dole, Gebetsberger, and Hillman also encourage students to take some time to focus on their own wellbeing as well, arguing that this can matter just as much as helping others.

Dole points out that LGBTQ students used to community reliance, and aware of the mental health burden caused by the pandemic, might be tempted to overextend themselves while offering mental health support to their friends and peers.

Instead of doing this, she encourages students to find a healthy balance that works for them.

"Make sure that you're setting appropriate boundaries with your friends," Dole said. "Don't overextend yourself. It's okay to say that you don't have the bandwidth for something. Do things for yourself: Find even 20 minutes to not be online. Take a walk outside. You need space to center yourself."

Parents

No matter what your relationship was like with your LGBTQ teen when they were still in the house, Kahn and Dole stress that this can be a beneficial time to bolster your kid's mental health by engaging in thoughtful discussions about their past experiences (and current needs).

When Gebetsberger returned to his native Oklahoma, where he has a supportive family and plenty of happy memories, he still found his mental health plunging. It was unclear how long he would be away from the community he had found both at school, where he had lots of queer friends, and during summers spent doing internships in Washington, D.C., where he enjoyed LGBTQ nightlife.

In Kahn and Dole's experience, this is hardly a rare occurrence. LGBTQ students returning home, whether to hospitable families or not, are going to be working through a host of personal issues, not only because of their identity but also simply because they were once adolescents in the homes they're returning to: For some students, like Gebetsberger, the last time they were in their family home for an extended period was back in high school.

"That's a time when you're hyperaware of how your peers perceive you, and you look to your family for a sense of belonging and safety," Kahn said.

Kahn and Dole encourage parents to intentionally reevaluate how welcoming their home was in the past, particularly parents of kids who first embraced their LGBTQ identity after going to college. Although you may not have previously known your child's sexual orientation or gender identity, now that you do, you're given an opportunity to be a resource and rethink how you've discussed LGBTQ issues in the past. They suggest working to un-learn some of the harmful lessons that may have been taught, wittingly or unwittingly, over the years.

Kahn recommends taking stock of language specifically. She notes this is important to do even when you're not all stuck at home together while social distancing because "your kids are listening from an early age to the way you talk about sexuality, gender, and LGBTQ people."

She suggests reflecting on potential past usage of phrases that establish straight and cisgender people as the norm, like, "Someday your wife will say..." Instead, think of more inclusive options to use, and discuss these options with your kids to see if they have insights or preferences.

Dole notes that, from a developmental process, a parent's relationship to their children will be changing as kids leave (and now return) home, so reflecting on the past can also open up new conversations. This can help give them new avenues to talk about their identity.

"Take this time to rethink your relationships a bit," Dole said. "We're all stuck inside together, and this is a great opportunity to change your behavior."

Dole suggests asking questions that reflect your changing relationship, like about what kind of emotional support your young adult needs now, particularly with respect to their identity and identity formation.

Overall, working to ensure that your household is currently welcoming, regardless of past mistakes, can help the overall mental health of LGBTQ students returning home, Kahn and Dole said.

Allies

It might be tempting, Kahn notes, for allies to the LGBTQ community, whether within a school community or not, to instantly reach out directly to all the college-going LGBTQ folks they know, offering support.

This is surely well-intentioned, but Kahn encourages allies to first equip themselves with proper mental health resources. She says it's important to understand what services are currently out there, and how they can be utilized in this era of social distancing. For general support, Kahn recommends resources like this one from HRC, which helps LGBTQ youth find direct online and phone support.

Additionally, Dole points out that lots of therapy practices have moved online. School counseling might be available online or via phone as well, so a good first step is simply being aware of the changes to commonly accessed mental health resources like these. That said, it's important to note that rules for receiving mental health treatment on the phone or by video can vary depending on your insurance or where you live. As Mashable reported earlier this month, it's possible that Medicaid and private insurance may not reimburse this kind of treatment.

Rather than directly sending resources to LGBTQ youth that you know, which might embarrass some students if you don't know them that well (and would not reach those who haven't revealed their sexual or gender identity to you), Kahn suggests posting about them on your own social media accounts. (If you're a professor, she notes you can include them in email blasts to students.) By doing so, you'll achieve two things: In the short term, you'll be connecting youth with helpful information; in the long term, you'll also be making clear (especially for those who have yet to share their sexual orientation or gender identity) that you're someone who can serve as a resource down the road.

On top of that, methods for continuing your allyship that you already practice throughout the year will prove helpful now — and when this current crisis eventually subsides.

A representative from the Trevor Project shared a few key tips with Mashable via email. First, just as you're presumably checking in with loved ones right now, the Trevor Project recommends checking in with LGBTQ friends and family year-round. In interactions with LGBTQ youth, the representative encourages practicing empathy, and listening without judgment, which can help to foster a safe and accepting environment wherever you are. Additionally, try sharing mental health and self-care resources specifically geared towards LGBTQ youth. And finally, if you know of any LGBTQ young person who feels hopeless or suicidal, you should connect them with the Trevor Project's crisis resources.

At this unprecedented time, making it clear that you're there for LGBTQ youth is crucial, due to the isolation and intense stress they might be feeling — but Kahn wants everyone to understand that this should continue year-round.

"You're making it clear you're a safe person," Kahn said. "You can do that now, or at any point in their life."

If you want to talk to someone or are experiencing suicidal thoughts, the TrevorLifeline provides free, confidential counseling. To reach a counselor, call 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678678. You can also talk to a crisis counselor at Crisis Text Line by testing HOME to 741741. Here is a list of international resources.

UPDATE: Mar. 30, 2020, 3:53 p.m. EST An earlier version of this article stated that Gebetsberger was from Ohio. He is from Oklahoma.







