Conversion Therapy

Conversion therapy is condemned by 85 major medical organizations including the APA and WHO, yet persists in 68 countries and 20 U.S. states without legal bans. The Williams Institute estimates 698,000 American adults have undergone these practices, which are linked to a 2.3-fold increase in suicidal ideation compared to untreated peers. A 2020 meta-analysis of 25 studies found no evidence of any sexual-orientation change and documented significant increases in depression and anxiety. Concrete data from the Trevor Project shows that LGBTQ youth who experienced conversion therapy are more than twice as likely to attempt suicide. The practice repeatedly outperforms every other pseudoscience on this list in measurable psychological damage.