Trans adults six times more likely to have attempted suicide than cisgender people, study finds
Several major medical bodies agree that gender-affirming healthcare is vital for trans people, and studies have shown how harmful it is to prevent trans people from accessing such care. (Getty)
Trans and gender-fluid adults are six times more likely to have attempted suicide than cisgender people, according to the latest research.
The Canadian mental health survey, published by medical journal Jama Network Open, attracted responses from 9,861 people, with 52 identifying as trans or gender-fluid.
Researchers discovered that the small minority were up to three times more likely than cisgender people to fit the clinical diagnosis for depression, generalised anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder and social phobia.
They were also three times more likely to report thoughts of suicide and six times more likely to have tried to take their own life.
The Washington Times quoted Ian Crabtree, a co-author of the study and a mental-health epidemiologist at the University of Ottawa, saying: “Research has shown that transgender and gender-diverse people are more likely to experience discrimination, bullying and stigma, and to suffer from policies of exclusion. This is likely to be a strong contributor to higher rates of mental disorder and suicidality.
“Promoting gender-affirming care, education regarding gender diversity and providing safe spaces for transgender and gender-diverse people are likely to help reduce the burden of poor mental health that they often experience.”
Similarly, a long-term Danish study, which gathered data between 1980 and 2021, found that trans people in the country experienced higher rates of suicide and mortality.
And figures published in September revealed that LGBTQ+ people could have a higher risk of dementia and later-life depression, possibly brought on by “minority stress” and discrimination.
Further research last year found that gender-affirming care improved the mental health of transgender teenagers.
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