https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/AFSP-Williams-Suicide-Report-Final.pdf
The prevalence of suicide attempts among respondents
to the National Transgender Discrimination Survey
(NTDS), conducted by the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force and National Center for Transgender Equality,
is 41 percent, which vastly exceeds the 4.6 percent of
the overall U.S. population who report a lifetime suicide
attempt, and is also higher than the 10-20 percent
of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults who report ever
attempting suicide. Much remains to be learned about
underlying factors and which groups within the diverse
population of transgender and gender non-conforming
people are most at risk.
In the present study, we sought to increase
understanding of suicidal behavior among transgender
and gender non-conforming people through an in-depth
analysis of NTDS data. The specific aims of our analysis
were to identify the key characteristics and experiences
associated with lifetime suicide attempts in the NTDS
sample as a whole, and to examine how lifetime suicide
attempts vary among different groups of transgender
and gender non-conforming people.
Key findings of this report include the following:
• Suicide attempts among trans men
(46%) and trans women (42%) were
slightly higher than the full sample (41%).
Cross-dressers assigned male at birth
have the lowest reported prevalence of
suicide attempts among gender identity
groups (21%).
• Analysis of other demographic variables
found prevalence of suicide attempts
was highest among those who are younger (18 to
24: 45%), multiracial (54%) and American Indian or
Alaska Native (56%), have lower levels of educational
attainment (high school or less: 48-49%), and have
lower annual household income (less than $10,000:
54%).
• Prevalence of suicide attempts is elevated among
those who disclose to everyone that they are
transgender or gender-non-conforming (50%) and
among those that report others can tell always (42%)
or most of the time (45%) that they are transgender
or gender non-conforming even if they don’t tell them.
• Respondents who are HIV-positive (51%) and
respondents with disabilities (55-65%) also have
elevated prevalence of suicide attempts. In particular,
65 percent of those with a mental health condition
that substantially affects a major life activity reported
attempting suicide.
• Respondents who experienced rejection by family and
friends, discrimination, victimization, or violence had
elevated prevalence of suicide attempts, such as those
who experienced the following:
— Family chose not to speak/spend time with them: 57%
— Discrimination, victimization, or violence at school,
at work, and when accessing health care
• Harassed or bullied at school (any level): 50-54%
• Experienced discrimination or harassment at
work: 50-59%
• Doctor or health care provider refused to treat
them: 60%
• Suffered physical or sexual violence:
— At work: 64-65%
— At school (any level): 63-78%
— Discrimination, victimization, or violence by law
enforcement
• Disrespected or harassed by law enforcement
officers: 57-61%
• Suffered physical or sexual violence: By law
enforcement officers: 60-70
— Experienced homelessness: 69%
Overall, the most striking finding of our analysis was
the exceptionally high prevalence of lifetime suicide
attempts reported by NTDS respondents across
all demographics and experiences. Based on prior
research and the findings of this report, we find that
mental health factors and experiences of harassment,
discrimination, violence and rejection may interact to
produce a marked vulnerability to suicidal behavior in
transgender and gender non-conforming individuals.
More research on suicidal behavior among transgender
and gender non-conforming people is needed.