Nepal, June 13 -- In South Asia, Nepal is often commended for its progressive LGBTQI+ rights. Yet, LGBTQI+ children and youth continue to struggle with severe mental health challenges-often in silence and often alone.

A recent joint study by Save the Children and Blue Diamond Society Nepal reveals the scale of this crisis. Among the 380 respondents from the LGBTQI+ community in Nepal, 42.7 percent of LGBTQI+ children and youth reported experiencing anxiety or depression. Further, there is a larger call to action, demanding that LGBTQI+ and their mental health should not only be viewed through a health lens, but that intentional efforts be made to understand the compounding impact of social, economic and political structures on LGBTQI+ in...