Study finds half of all young trans men have attempted suicide

A report out of the US has found that half of young trans men have attempted suicide, compared to 14 percent in the general youth population.

The American Academy of Paediatrics released the Transgender Adolescent Suicide Behavior report earlier this month, which had the aim of understanding patterns of suicidal behaviour in trans and gender diverse youth.

Young trans men were found to be most at risk, with 50.8 per cent of respondents having attempted suicide.

41.8 percent of non-binary youth were the next highest, followed by 29.9 percent of young trans women.

Those who considered themselves questioning had attempted at a rate of 27.9 per cent, followed by young cisgender women at 17.9 per cent and male cisgender youth at 9.8 percent.

“Identifying as nonheterosexual exacerbated the risk for all adolescents except for those who did not exclusively identify as male or female,” the study stated.

The data used for the report was taken from a previous study which assessed 617 adolescents between the ages of 11 and 19.

Previous data about the rates of suicide attempts among queer young people tended to view them under the broader LGBTI umbrella, but this new report’s assessment of trans and gender diverse youth brings their mental health into even sharper exposure.

An Australian study conducted by the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth last year found that around 1 in 2 trans young people aged 16 to 24 had attempted suicide, with up to 80 per cent having self-harmed.

The rate of suicide among transgender people of any age is roughly 11 times higher than those who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual.

“These harrowing statistics lay bare the urgency of building welcoming and safe communities for LGBTQ young people, particularly for transgender youth,” said Ellen Kahn of the Human Rights Campaign in a statement.

“The distressing reality reflected in this study is preventable, and our nation’s schools, political leaders, and communities can take concrete steps to combat this epidemic.”

With anti-trans rhetoric continuing to permeate politics and media, trans young people are hugely at risk.

Young trans people in Australia can access state-specific information about support services through parent-led advocacy group Transcend by clicking here.

If you or someone close to you is struggling and needs someone to speak to, you can contact one of these services:

QLife: 1800 184 527
Headspace: 1800 650 890
Beyond Blue 1300 224 636
Switchboard: 1800 184 527
Lifeline: 13 11 14