Trauma from LGBT conversion therapies costs the US billions, study finds. Here’s how
Conversion therapy isn’t just detrimental to LGBTQ youth — it’s also a money pit for America, according to a new study that found the repercussions of the anti-LGBTQ practice costs billions of dollars each year.
While the U.S. funnels about $650 million into conversion therapy for LGBTQ youth annually, that number is only a fraction of how much the country spends each year to amend the trauma it instills in youth, the study says.
Conversion therapy is a discredited practice with the intention of changing an individual’s sexual orientation or gender identity, according to the study, which was published in the Jama Pediatrics Journal on March 7. Twenty-five states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have established bans on conversion therapy for minors, the study said.
“(Conversion therapy) reinforces societal prejudices and stigmas through promoting sexual and gender identity rejection,” the study said. “For already vulnerable youths, it may exacerbate distress or incite guilt, shame, and self-hatred and is associated with devastating mental and physical health consequences.”
Who’s being subject to conversion therapy?
About 13% of LGBTQ youth reported being subject to conversion therapy, according to a 2021 survey conducted by The Trevor Project, a ”suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ young people” and partner in the new study.
The damage can last years, researchers say.
Mental and emotional damage associated with conversion therapy, including depression, anxiety and suicide attempts, costs the U.S. $8.58 billion each year, the study says. The combination of the price of conversion therapy and the cost of reparative measures brings the total cost to $9.23 billion annually.
The target population of the the study, which was conducted between December 2020 and February 2021, included three groups:
- LGBTQ youth ages 13-17 in states where conversion therapy for minors was legal.
- LGBTQ youth ages 13-17 in states where conversion therapy for minors is illegal but religious conversion efforts are permitted.
- LGBTQ adolescents ages 18-24 who were living in the United States.
The study estimated that 10% of that population is at risk of being subject to conversion therapy.
Out of all the conversion therapy analyzed in the study, 74% was religious-based. Only 26% was provided by licensed health professionals, the study reported.
The study compared the probability of adverse health outcomes among LGBTQ youth who underwent conversion therapy and youth who underwent no therapy or affirmative therapy, which encourages individuals to embrace their sexual orientation and gender.
The data showed a significantly higher likelihood that those who went through conversion therapy would experience anxiety, depression, drug and alcohol abuse and suicide attempts, according to the study.
The costs of conversion therapy
Researchers used a “comprehensive model” developed with top health economists and scientists to “calculate the economic costs of conversion therapy and its associated harms.”
The study is the first of its kind of examine the economic impacts of conversion therapy on Americans, researchers said. It has given scientists a window into how conversion therapy impacts youth in the long run, Dr. Anna Forsythe, principal scientist for the study, said in a release
“The mental health risks of conversion therapy have long been suspected, but this scientific research quantifies, for the first time, the staggering cost of this therapy in financial terms,” Forsythe said.
Forsythe went on to say “it is our hope that this peer-reviewed analysis can be an objective tool to help decision-makers evaluate the massive impact this therapy continues to exact on not only the victims, but on society as a whole.”
The billions of dollars the U.S. spends on conversion therapy isn’t only for the therapy itself, but also reparative services to help LGBTQ youth to heal from the damage conversion therapy causes.
The study estimated how much conversion and affirmative therapy would cost an individual on an annual basis and estimated the cost of adverse health outcomes based on probability.
Although conversion therapy costs less up front than affirmative therapy since it’s provided by both licensed and unlicensed professionals, the adverse health effects of conversion therapy cost significantly more in the long run, according to the study.
“In addition to the resources wasted on (conversion therapy), the downstream consequences are associated with lifetime excess costs of $83,366 per individual at risk, primarily associated with suicidality, anxiety, severe psychological distress, depression, and substance abuse,” the study concluded. “From a population perspective, this translated to total costs of $650 million for (conversion therapy) in 2021, with harms associated with an estimated economic burden of $9.23 billion.”
Limitations of the study included the assumption that all LGBTQ youth share the same risk of adverse outcomes as a result of conversion therapy and the fact that the cost of health care and adverse effects over a lifetime are subject to change.
In a 2020 survey, 58% of LGBTQ youth reported that someone in their life, including parents, friends, religious leaders or relatives, attempted to convince them to change their sexual orientation or gender identity, the study said.
“We know conversion therapy has long been a burden on LGBTQ young people and their families, as the practice has consistently been associated with poor mental health and greater risk for suicide. But the economic costs this practice has on society are just starting to be understood,” Casey Pick, senior fellow for Advocacy & Government Affairs at The Trevor Project, said. “We must ensure that taxpayers’ dollars are never again spent on this dangerous and discredited practice.”
The Movement Advancement Project provides a full, updated list of the legality of conversion therapy in each state.
People can visit The Trevor Project’s website for resources for LGBTQ youth and to find out more about the impacts of conversion therapy.
This story was originally published March 10, 2022 at 2:44 PM with the headline "Trauma from LGBT conversion therapies costs the US billions, study finds. Here’s how."
