A shocking 90% of trans youth are depressed, research finds
A new study has found that nine in ten young transgender people suffer with depression or anxiety.
The study by the the Trans Health Research Group at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, spoke with 45 young people about their experiences and mental health.
Just 13% of those surveyed felt their parents fully supported them with their identity and challenges.
“The objectives of the study were to look at health care and support needs, main concerns and hopes of transgendered children and youth and their parents here in our province,” said Dr. Tracey Bridger, one of the people involved in the research group.
Researchers sent out a questionnaire to young transgender people and their parents in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, in a bid to better understand the issues.
Many parents feared that their children would face prejudice due to their identity.
Unlike a mother from Minnesota who is suing her own daughter for transitioning.
“They felt that they may have needed some more information or guidance.
“There is a lot of transphobia in our society, and they felt a lot of concern for the safety of their children,” Bridger said.
“They really wanted to depathologise their child’s identity, and it would be great if their children and youth were allowed to grow up in a society where this was seen as very normal, which of course it is.”
The researchers now hope that pulling together this evidence will play into a wider strategy to better help young people with their gender identity, and parents in understanding their children’s needs.
‘They were very open,” Dr. Bridger said.
“Everything was anonymous, of course, so we couldn’t identify who was saying what.
“Because of that, I think we got excellent, very honest results that will be much more useful to us in the future.”
