Differential Experiences of Mental Health among Transgender and Gender-Diverse Youth in Colorado

Abstract

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 to their peers who are questioning their gender, and who are heterosexual. The implications for mental health professionals and others who work with young people are to recognize that mental health is not a one-size-fits all model for young TGD people, and that the intersection of multiple marginalized identities, must be addressed in order to improve the mental health of this group of young people. Findings can also be used to better understand issues of stigma, discrimination, and victimization in education, health care, and beyond.

Daily Heterosexist Experiences in LGBTQ+ Adults from Spain: Measurement, Prevalence, and Clinical Implications

“…These rates are above average when compared with community samples (Gómez-Romero et al, 2021;Marcos-Nájera et al, 2018) and are similar to those found in clinical samples from Spain (47%-46%; Diez-Quevedo et al, 2001;Muñoz-Navarro et al, 2017). Moreover, these findings are in line with the high rates of depression and suicidality found in LGBTQ+ adults from other countries (The United States [54% depression, 50% non-suicidal self-injury, 28% suicidal attempt; Atteberry-Ash et al, 2021], Canada [65% suicidal ideation, 14% suicidal attempts; Igartua et al, 2003;43% depression, New Zealand [31.7% suicidal behavior, 32.3% depression], Thailand [39% suicidal ideation; Kittiteerasack, 2021), and China [42.82% depression;Wang et al, 2021]) and suggest that despite the increasing changes in cultural and attitudinal values regarding LGBTQ+ rights, identifying as a LGBTQ+ individual still represents a risk factor for mental health problems. Special attention should be paid to how experiences of discrimination and rejection could lead to an increased level of depression and suicidal behavior.…”

Mental Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth

“…Other dimensions of social identity and group membership, such as sexual orientation and race/ethnicity, have also been explored. School-based studies of TGD adolescents in the United States have found that sexual minority TGD adolescents are more likely to have experienced recent depression, engaged in nonsuicidal self-injury, and attempted suicide than heterosexual TGD adolescents (Atteberry-Ash et al 2021, Toomey et al 2018. Comparisons between TGD youth of different races/ethnicities have yielded mixed results, with some studies (Atteberry-Ash et al 2021) but not others (Toomey et al 2018, Vance et al 2021 reporting that youth of color are at higher risk of suicidality and depression than white youth.…”

“…Having multiple, intersecting marginalized identities can make TGD youth particularly vulnerable to stigma and minority stress and may therefore increase vulnerability to psychological distress. As an example, TGD youth of color-and American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander TGD youth in particular-have been reported to have higher rates of suicidality than non-Hispanic white TGD youth (Atteberry-Ash et al 2021).…”

Binary and Non-binary Gender Identities, Internalizing Problems, and Treatment Wishes Among Adolescents Referred to a Gender Identity Clinic in Germany

“…Among TGNC adolescents specifically, percentages of non-binary gender identities vary considerably across studies and study populations (for an overview of studies focusing on binary vs. non-binary youth in clinical and non-clinical studies, see Table S1 in the Supplementary Material). Altogether, in non-clinical surveys, a wide range of approximately 20–70% of TGNC youth (primarily recruited through social media) identify as non-binary (e.g., Atteberry-Ash et al, 2021 ; Clark et al, 2018 ; McKay & Watson, 2020 ; Roberts et al, 2021 ; Thoma et al, 2019 ; Table S1). Since not all and therefore probably fewer non-binary than binary TGNC youth attend specialized gender identity services, the proportion of non-binary youth in clinical studies is lower: Clinical studies indicate that 6–26% of youth attending specialized gender identity services identify as non-binary (e.g., Cheung et al, 2020 ; Mirabella et al, 2022 ; O'Bryan et al, 2018 ; Thorne et al, 2018 ; Twist & de Graaf, 2019 ; Table S1).…”