unprecedented number of anguished calls flooded suicide prevention hotlines since Donald Trump secured his shocking victory in the US presidential, late on Tuesday night. Among those who appear to be the most affected are LGBTQ. Many fear about their security and safety under a Donald Trump administration.
According to Huffington Post citing “various reports online”, as many as eight transgender youths killed themselves following the news of Trump’s win, although the exact figure has not been verified.
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On Wednesday afternoon, a writer at the Guardian, Zach Stafford, tweeted that several of these deaths had occurred, citing a private Facebook group for parents of trans kids. Later, he deleted the Tweet explaining that :
Update: as we continue to investigate the reported suicides, I’ve spoken w/ GLAAD and we feel it best to take down the original tweet (1/3)
— Zach Stafford (@ZachStafford) November 10, 2016
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the country’s largest general crisis prevention hotlines, which has some 10, 000 operators answering calls, received 660 calls in one hour between 1am and 2am Wednesday – two and a half times the average – the New York Daily News reported.
“It clearly is and was an indication that there’s a lot of anxiety and fear around the election, ” director John Draper told the newspaper.
“This is unprecedented, ” Draper said. “We weren’t polling whether people were Democrats or Republicans. But it’s clear that people who were calling were concerned about the outcome.”
An onslaught of calls also overwhelmed the staff at the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention network for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth.
“When there is a community event or a national event that can in some ways provoke anxiety or fear or a sense of loss, that’s going to aggravate existing feelings of loss, anxiety, or fear, ” Draper told BuzzFeed. “If you’re already worried about your family, your job, your relationship, your lot in life, your health, this is going to aggravate it.”
Having trouble coping with #stress & #anxiety related to the recent presidential election? Here are 4 tips to help you cope. #Election2016 pic.twitter.com/jpaaig7Bmz
— Lifeline (@800273TALK) November 10, 2016
