Story perspectives

Study Links Bullying, Gender Laws to Teen Mental Distress

4/22/2026

Summary

Story summary

A JAMA Network study led by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) finds that bullying in states with unsupportive gender-identity laws heightens psychological distress among gender-diverse teens.
The researchers analyzed data from nearly 8,500 teens to examine links between bullying, social environments, and mental health.
They report that bullying significantly contributes to psychotic-like experiences, such as feeling suspicious or threatened.
They conclude that these mental health challenges arise from social and political environments, not from gender identity itself.
From 2017 to 2022, the share of U.S. teens identifying as transgender or gender-diverse doubled from 0.7% to 1.4%.

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Story summary

A JAMA Network study led by researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) finds that bullying in states with unsupportive gender-identity laws heightens psychological distress among gender-diverse teens.
The researchers analyzed data from nearly 8,500 teens to examine links between bullying, social environments, and mental health.
They report that bullying significantly contributes to psychotic-like experiences, such as feeling suspicious or threatened.
They conclude that these mental health challenges arise from social and political environments, not from gender identity itself.
From 2017 to 2022, the share of U.S. teens identifying as transgender or gender-diverse doubled from 0.7% to 1.4%.