Differential Experiences of Mental Health among Trans/Gender Diverse Adults in Michigan (original) (raw)
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Transgender Health, 2016
This study assessed within a Midwestern LGBT population whether, and the extent to which, transgender identity was associated with elevated odds of reported discrimination, depression symptoms, and suicide attempts. Methods: Based on survey data collected online from respondents who self-identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender persons over the age of 19 in Nebraska in 2010, this study performed bivariate t-or chisquare tests and multivariate logistic regression analysis to examine differences in reported discrimination, depression symptoms, suicide attempts, and self-acceptance of LGBT identity between 91 transgender and 676 nontransgender respondents. Results: After controlling for the effects of selected confounders, transgender identity was associated with higher odds of reported discrimination (OR = 2.63, p < 0.01), depression symptoms (OR = 2.33, p < 0.05), and attempted suicides (OR = 2.59, p < 0.01) when compared with nontransgender individuals. Self-acceptance of LGBT identity was associated with substantially lower odds of reporting depression symptoms (OR = 0.46, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Relative to nontransgender LGB individuals, transgender individuals were more likely to report discrimination, depression symptoms, and attempted suicides. Lack of self-acceptance of LGBT identity was associated with depression symptoms among transgender individuals.
Determinants of Transgender Individuals' Well-Being, Mental Health, and Suicidality in a Rural State
Rural mental health, 2018
This project utilized a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach to conduct qualitative interviews with 30 transgender adults living in a rural state. Participants' identities spanned from trans women and men to non-binary and Two-Spirit. The aim of this study was to better understand the experiences, needs, and priorities of the participants as well as to examine possible determinants of mental health, well-being, and suicidality for transgender individuals in Montana. These factors were investigated at individual, interpersonal, community, and societal levels using an ecological framework. Qualitative results indicate that participants experienced discrimination at all levels. Participants noted that discrimination contributed to mental health challenges and limited access to adequate general and transgender-specific healthcare services, both of which impacted overall well-being. This is reflected most notably in the elevated rate of past suicidal ideation attemp...
Differential Experiences of Mental Health among Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth in Colorado
Behavioral Sciences, 2021
Young people experience a variety of mental health concerns, including depression, non-suicidal self-injury, and suicidal ideation. These issues are at even higher rates among transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) young people, due to the additional burden of having to navigate a world in which transphobia impacts them at the individual, organizational, and policy levels. However, much of the extant research focuses only on comparing TGD youth to cisgender counterparts. This study explores the nuance within the TDG youth population regarding mental health, examining how gender, race/ethnicity, and sexual orientation change the likelihood of experiencing each of these mental health concerns. Among a sample of over 400 young people, findings indicate that those TGD young people who do not identify themselves within the masculine/feminine binary and those with marginalized sexual orientations were two to three times more likely to experience adverse mental health outcomes, as compared t...
Journal of Women's Health, 2017
Background: Previous studies have found that transgender, lesbian, and bisexual people report poorer mental health relative to heterosexuals. However, available research provides little information about mental health service access among the highest need groups within these communities: bisexual women and transgender people. This study compared past year unmet need for mental health care and untreated depression between four groups: heterosexual cisgender (i.e., not transgender) women, cisgender lesbians, cisgender bisexual women, and transgender people. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional Internet survey. We used targeted sampling to recruit 704 sexual and gender minority people and heterosexual cisgendered adult women across Ontario, Canada. To ensure adequate representation of vulnerable groups, we oversampled racialized and low socioeconomic status (SES) women. Results: Trans participants were 2.4 times (95% confidence intervals [CI] = 1.6-3.8, p < 0.01) and bisexual people 1.8 times (95% CI = 1.1-2.9, p = 0.02) as likely to report an unmet need for mental healthcare as cisgender heterosexual women. Trans participants were also 1.6 times (95% CI = 1.0-27, p = 0.04) more likely to report untreated depression. These differences were not seen after adjustment for social context factors such as discrimination and social support. Conclusion: We conclude that there are higher rates of unmet need and untreated depression in trans and bisexual participants that are partly explained by differences in social factors, including experiences of discrimination, lower levels of social support, and systemic exclusion from healthcare. Our findings suggest that the mental health system in Ontario is not currently meeting the needs of many sexual and gender minority people.
An analysis of suicidal thoughts and behaviors among transgender and gender diverse adults
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Purpose Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) remain a pressing public health problem for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) persons. The goal of this study was to apply social-ecological and minority stress frameworks to identify individual and interpersonal-level TGD-specific STB risk and protective factors. Methods This is a secondary analysis of the 2015 United States Transgender Health Survey, a comprehensive cross-sectional health assessment of a national sample of TGD adults (N = 27,658). Chi-square and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to identify bivariate correlates of 12-month and lifetime suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempt (SA). Logistic regression was employed to identify the strongest STB risk and protective factors across levels. Results Sexual minority identification, racial minority identification, and having a disability were lifetime STB risk factors. TGD identity, sexual minority identification, racial minority identification (SA only), lower education, lower income, military experience, having a disability, and being uninsured were 12-month STB risk factors. Psychological distress was the most robust STB risk factor. Workplace discrimination, family rejection, healthcare discrimination, and childhood bias-based victimization were lifetime STB risk factors. All forms of discrimination and victimization (with the exception of family rejection for SI) were 12-month STB risk factors. Family and coworker support were protective factors for lifetime SA (but not SI) and all 12-month STBs. Being less out about TGD identity was a protective factor for STBs (except for 12-month SI). Conclusion Findings support social-ecological and minority stress STB risk frameworks. Recommendations are provided for a comprehensive approach to TGD suicide prevention.
Transgender Health, 2019
Introduction: This systematic review assessed the impact of race/ethnicity, education, and income on transgender individual's lifetime experience of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (SITB) in gray and published literature (1997-2017). Methods: Sixty four research projects (108 articles) were identified in WorldCat, PubMed, and Google Scholar. Articles were included if they were published in Canada or the United States, included original quantifiable data on transgender SITBs, and had ‡5 participants, at least 51% of whom were ‡18 years. Results: Across all projects suicide ideation averaged 46.55% and attempts averaged 27.19%. The majority of participants were Caucasian, whereas the highest rate of suicide attempts (55.31%) was among First Nations, who accounted for <1.5% of participants. Caucasians, by contrast, had the lowest attempt rate (36.80%). More participants obtained a bachelor's degree and fewer an associate or technical degree than any other level of education. Suicide attempts were highest among those with £some high school (50.70%) and lowest among those with an advanced degree (30.25%
An exploration of transgender people's mental health
2016
This thesis explores trans-minority mental health, and in particular the application of the Minority Stress Hypothesis (MSH) as a framework for understanding the high rates of poor mental health, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, seen in trans populations. It is comprised of four sections. The first section consists of a systematic literature review exploring factors which relate to suicidal ideation and attempts (SIA) in trans people. A systematic search of nine databases resulted in 27 papers. Discrimination and other negative experiences were related to increased SIA, whereas social interactions and access to support were protective, although some limitations to the study are also discussed. by the Postgraduate Statistics Department and the university, and also by Dr Bill Selwood and Dr Guillermo Perez Algorta, who gave excellent advice when I was extremely stressed. I would also like to thank Maeve Regan for draft reading, and patience.
A comparison of health disparities among transgender adults in Colorado (USA) by race and income
International Journal of Transgenderism, 2016
Transgender individuals face heightened risks for discrimination, harassment, and violence that impact their psychosocial well-being and physical health. However, few studies have thoroughly examined the general physical and mental health of transgender adults or within-group health differences by race/ethnicity and income. To that end, after controlling for health insurance status, age, and engagement in exercise, this study asks: (a) are transgender people of color more likely than White transgender individuals to experience poor health outcomes?, and (b) is lower annual household income among transgender adults associated with poorer health outcomes? The current study analyzes secondary data from a survey of transgender adults (N = 417) in one state in the Western United States using multiple linear regression and logistic regression models. Transgender people of color had significantly greater odds than their White counterparts of having arthritis/rheumatoid arthritis/gout/lupus/fibromyalgia, or having asthma, but lower odds of being told by a provider that they had depression. Having a lower income was significantly associated with worse general health as well as multiple indicators of poor physical and mental health, including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. We discuss implications for health care delivery for transgender people and for future research.
Beyond Depression and Suicide: The Mental Health of Transgender College Students
Social Sciences, 2017
Research studies examining the mental health of transgender individuals often focus on depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation through the use of clinic samples. However, little is known about the emerging adult (18-26 years old) transgender population and their mental health. The current study seeks to fill that gap by using a national dataset of college students (N = 547,727) to examine how transgender college students (n = 1143) differ from their cisgender peers regarding 12 different mental health conditions. Chi-square and regression analyses were conducted. Results demonstrate that transgender students have approximately twice the risk for most mental health conditions compared to cisgender female students. A notable exception is schizophrenia, in which transgender individuals have about seven times the risk compared to cisgender females. While these were significant findings, regression analyses indicate that being non-heterosexual is a greater predictor for mental health concerns. Implications for mental health practitioners at colleges and universities are discussed.
Transgender Health
Transgender populations in the United States experience unique inequities in health and social wellbeing; however, they continue to be categorized with men who have sex with men (MSM) in HIV surveillance. To illustrate the differences in the lived realities of young MSM and transgender youth, we compare psychosocial outcomes across a sample of transgender and MSM youth from Detroit. Methods: Data for this study come from a community-based cross-sectional survey of young adults (ages 18-29) living in Detroit who identify as transgender and/or as cisgender young men who have sex with men (YMSM). Using participants' geographic location within the city of Detroit, we matched transgender participants (N = 26) to YMSM (N = 123) living in the same area, and compared the prevalence in risk and resilience indicators across the two groups. Results: Transgender participants were more likely than YMSM to experience socioeconomic vulnerability across several indicators, including lower educational attainment and workforce participation, greater residential instability, and higher lifetime experiences of transactional sex. Transgender participants were more likely than YMSM to report poorer health status, higher symptoms of depression and anxiety, and greater experiences of daily hassles and gender-related discrimination. Transgender participants did not differ from YMSM peers on healthpromotive factors, including self-esteem, coping mastery, purpose in life, or social support. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the importance of addressing the social and economic inequities experienced by transgender young adults. Local-and national-level programmatic and policy interventions are recommended to alleviate the psychosocial vulnerability experienced by transgender young adults and to improve their health and social well-being.