Election stress: Crisis hotlines see enormous increase after Trump win

The 2024 election may be over, but its effect on some people’s mental health is starting to become clear. Two major crisis hotlines saw huge increases in contact before and after Election Day.

The Trevor Project, which provides free 24/7 crisis services to LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 24, told Mashable that conversation topics related to the election surged by 200 percent on Nov. 3 and 4, compared to a few days prior to that timeframe.

By midnight eastern time of Election Day, calls to The Trevor Project’s lifeline and conversations that took place via chat and text collectively increased by 125 percent compared to a normal day for the service. That volume continued into the morning of Nov. 6, and the organization anticipates it will remain steady, or potentially increase.

Crisis Text Line reported a similar trend. Conversations about anxiety and stress began rising the Friday before the election. On Election Day, they’d increased by a third of their normal volume.

In general, the nonprofit observed the start of a spike in volume on Sunday. During election week in 2020, Crisis Text Line saw a prominent uptick in conversations related to LGBTQ+ stress, a trend that continued this year. Starting last Friday, Crisis Text Line observed a surge from LGBTQ+ texters that rose by 56 percent by Election Day.

This election appeared to be especially hard on LGBTQ+ youth. In a recent survey of LGBTQ+ youth, 90 percent of respondents said politics had negatively affected their well-being.

President-elect Donald Trump frequently attacked transgender rights on the campaign trail and made anti-trans ads a centerpiece of his campaign. Project 2025, a far-right playbook of conservative initiatives championed by some of Trump’s closest advisors, also targets LGBTQ+ rights, according to Accountable.us, a non-partisan watchdog group.

The playbook recommends that the Department of Justice defend the First Amendment right of people to discriminate against LGBTQ+ individuals, undo the Department of Health and Human Service’s focus of “LGBTQ+ equity,” and reverse the Department of Defense’s policy allowing transgender people to serve in the military.

“Young people are wondering if they have a place in the future,” Kevin Wong, senior vice president of marketing, communications, and content for The Trevor Project, told Mashable.

“Young people are wondering if they have a place in the future.”

Wong recommended that youth feeling overwhelmed or distressed by the election results take a few basic steps to improve their well-being, some of which are outlined in a new Trevor Project guide on the topic.

Wong says youth may benefit from pausing and taking a moment to do something they enjoy, like listening to their favorite album, cooking, or moving their body. (The Trevor Project offers its own visual breathing exercise.)

While he understands the desire to stay informed right now, Wong also suggests taking deliberate breaks from reading the news and engaging with social media. This can be particularly important before bed, to help process the day’s events.

Cultivating a sense of hope is also critical, Wong says. This can mean learning about organizations advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and freedoms, and finding community at local LGBTQ+ centers.

For young people who feel they need to urgently learn about the different types of discrimination they might face, Wong says it’s important to remember that state and federal policies will not change overnight. As a result, youth can spend the coming weeks taking care of themselves and considering how to protect their rights.

Finally, Wong says that caring adults can help youth navigate this uncertain time by making it clear where they stand. If an adult knows an out LGBTQ+ young person, reaching out directly to offer their support may help alleviate their anxiety.

But adults should also consider that some teens may not yet openly identify as LGBTQ+. So public gestures of support, like sharing mental health resources for LGBTQ+ youth on social media or making affirmative comments during a conversation, offer positive indications.

“Signaling that you are an ally… can do wonders for feeling accepted for LGBTQ+ young people,” Wong says.

If you’re feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988; the Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860; or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text “START” to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email [email protected]. If you don’t like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat at crisischat.org. Here is a list of international resources.