Transsexuals, young non-binary, are the most exposed to suicide attempts

Transgender adolescents are more likely to commit suicide than cisgender teens. In their new discoveries, researchers at the University of Arizona (UA) go even further by discovering which subgroup of trans teenagers was most at risk for suicidal behavior.

The study titled "Suicide Behavior in Transgender Teens" was published in Pediatrics on September 11th.

Researchers analyzed data from a national survey focusing on adolescents' attitudes and behaviors. More than 120,000 teenagers were asked if they had ever attempted suicide as part of the investigation.

They were also asked to rank in one of six categories of gender identity – cisgender man, cisgender woman, transgender man, transgender woman, non-binary and "uncertain", which meant that Individual was questioning his gender identity.

Overall, about 14% of all participants reported attempting suicide at least once. A clear majority of participants reported being cisgender with only 202 teenagers not identifying as such.

Within this group, researchers found that transgender men had the highest suicide attempt rate at 50.8%. Figures for non-binary participants were also highlighted, with 42% of this group reporting having experienced some form of self-harm in the past year.

It was unclear why transgender men (characterized by a transition from woman to man) were the most exposed. But researchers have hypothesized that women are more likely to commit suicide than men among young cisgender people. Since this group is assigned to a woman at birth, social factors can play a role and contribute to high risk.

The results also highlight the need for more research on non-binary young people, a relatively under-researched group. People in this group are not exclusively male or female.

"Non-binary young people show up every day as not being read by society as a man or a woman, and there has not been much research on this population, but we expect their peers and communities, depending on their presentation on gender, "said lead author Russell Toomey, an associate professor at Norton School for Family and Consumer Sciences at AU.

The study also examined the role of other factors such as race and ethnicity, parental education, adolescence, etc. The racial or ethnic minority was associated with a higher risk of suicide among cisgender youth, but this trend was not seen among transgender youth.

"This is consistent with other recent research that has shown that the identification and experience of marginalized racial and ethnic identities and gender identities can confer protection," Toomey explained. "For example, a young person can learn to deal with marginalization based on one of his or her identities, which helps them cope with the intersection of multiple identities."

If you have suicidal thoughts, confidential help is available free of charge at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours a day, every day.