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Risks And Harms of Conversion therapy
Conversion therapy is harmful. That is not an opinion drawn from one side of a cultural debate. It is the settled conclusion of decades of medical research and the position of every major health authority in the United States. Studies tie the practice to depression, anxiety, trauma, and a sharply elevated risk of suicide, along with lasting damage to a young person's relationships with their family, their church, and their community.
For parents of faith who are trying to do right by a child, that evidence matters more than any marketing brochure a program might hand you. This page gathers what the science actually says, with links to the original sources, so you can make a decision grounded in facts rather than fear.
If you are new to the topic, our overview of what conversion therapy is explains the practice and its many rebranded names.
What the Research Shows
Last Updated: July 2026
Why Medical Experts Reject Conversion Therapy
There is no credible scientific evidence that a person's sexual orientation or gender identity can be changed through therapy, prayer-based programs, or behavioral techniques. Leading bodies including the American Psychological Association and the American Medical Association have reviewed the research and concluded the practice is both ineffective and dangerous.
The concern is not only that conversion therapy fails. It is that trying to "correct" who a child is sends a message that the child is broken, and that message does measurable harm.
Conversion Therapy and Mental Health
People exposed to conversion practices report higher rates of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress than those who were not. A 2020 study in JAMA Psychiatry found that transgender adults who had been through gender identity change efforts showed increased psychological distress and roughly twice the odds of a lifetime suicide attempt.
The pattern holds across populations. A national survey of sexual minority adults linked these change efforts to greater suicidal ideation and attempts, even after accounting for difficult childhood experiences. The harm, in other words, is not explained away by a rough upbringing. It tracks with the practice itself.
The costs are societal as well as personal. One economic analysis published in JAMA Pediatrics estimated that conversion therapy and its fallout cost the United States about $9.23 billion a year.
Conversion Therapy and Suicide Risk
This is the harm that should give any parent pause. Peer-reviewed research shows that LGBTQ young people who went through conversion therapy are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide, and more than 2.5 times as likely to report multiple attempts in the past year.
The timing matters, too. In one research brief, young people whose most recent exposure occurred within the past year reported the highest rates of suicidal thoughts, at 61 percent, and attempts, at 35 percent. Recency intensifies the risk.
Exposure is also far from rare. The Trevor Project found that 13 percent of LGBTQ young people have been threatened with or subjected to these practices, with transgender and nonbinary youth reporting higher lifetime exposure than their cisgender peers.
Family Alienation: How Rejection Compounds the Harm
Conversion therapy rarely arrives on its own. It usually comes bundled with a family's disapproval, and that disapproval is its own risk factor. A landmark 2009 study in the journal Pediatrics was the first to establish a direct link between rejecting family behavior and serious health problems in early adulthood.
The findings from that research at San Francisco State are stark: young people who faced high levels of family rejection were more than eight times as likely to have attempted suicide than those whose families were accepting. Rejection also predicted higher rates of depression and substance use.
Enrolling a child in conversion therapy is, in practice, a form of rejection. It tells the child that acceptance is conditional on becoming someone else. That is precisely the dynamic the research warns against.
A Global Consensus
The verdict extends well beyond any single country. In 2020, United Nations experts called for a worldwide ban on conversion therapy, describing it as inherently discriminatory and warning that, when forced, it can amount to torture.
Nearly 30 states have now passed laws protecting minors from the practice, many with bipartisan support. The scientific and human-rights communities are aligned on this point in a way they rarely are on anything.
What Actually Helps
The same body of research that documents the harm also points to the remedy, and it is within reach of every parent. Family acceptance is strongly protective. Young people who felt accepted by their families during adolescence reported higher self-esteem, stronger social support, and better overall health, along with much lower rates of depression and suicidal behavior.
You do not have to resolve every theological question to keep your child safe. Researchers have found that even small shifts toward acceptance measurably improve a child's health. Warmth is not an endorsement of everything. It is protection.
If you want practical next steps and answers to the questions parents ask most, visit our conversion therapy FAQ.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is conversion therapy harmful?
Yes. Peer-reviewed research links conversion therapy to depression, anxiety, trauma, and elevated suicide risk, and every major U.S. medical and mental health organization has concluded it is both ineffective and dangerous.
Does conversion therapy increase suicide risk?
Research shows that LGBTQ young people who experienced conversion therapy are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide, and more than 2.5 times as likely to report multiple suicide attempts in the past year, compared with those who were not exposed.
Can conversion therapy change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity?
No. There is no credible scientific evidence that sexual orientation or gender identity can be changed through therapy, counseling, or behavioral programs. Health authorities describe the practice as discredited.
How does conversion therapy affect families?
It typically deepens rejection. Studies show that young people who face high family rejection are more than eight times as likely to attempt suicide, while family acceptance is one of the strongest protective factors for a child's mental health.
What do medical organizations say about conversion therapy?
The American Psychological Association, the American Medical Association, and other leading bodies oppose conversion therapy. In 2020, United Nations experts called for a global ban and warned the practice can amount to torture.
What can parents of faith do instead of conversion therapy?
Choose acceptance and affirming support. Research shows that family acceptance protects against depression, substance use, and suicidal behavior, and that even small increases in accepting behavior improve a child's health. Affirming faith communities can be a source of strength rather than shame.