A recent study published in JAMA Network Open on Wednesday reveals that transgender and gender-fluid individuals are significantly more prone to mental health issues and suicidal behavior compared to those who are comfortable with their biological gender.
Out of 9,861 participants in a national mental health survey conducted in Canada, only 52 did not identify with their biological sex. The findings show that these individuals have up to a threefold increase in the likelihood of being diagnosed with depression, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and social phobia both in the past year and over their lifetime compared to cisgender individuals.
The same group was found to be three times more likely to contemplate suicide and six times more likely to have attempted it, as revealed by the research.
Ian Crabtree, one of the study’s authors and a mental health epidemiologist at the University of Ottawa, explained via email that discrimination, bullying, stigma, and exclusionary policies are major factors contributing to the elevated rates of mental health issues and suicidality among transgender and gender diverse individuals.
This study is pioneering in its comparison of the self-reported mental health statuses of transgender and cisgender individuals, corroborating previous research that indicated a significantly higher use of mental health-related services among transgender individuals compared to the general population.