A Clinically Neglected Topic: Risk of Suicide in Transgender Individuals

The aim of this study was to determine whether adolescence of transgender individuals is characterized by a high risk of suicide.

In total, 141 participants with transgenderism were questioned using a semi-structured interview to determine whether participants had current suicidal thoughts, had a lifetime history of such thoughts, or had attempted suicide. These findings were cross-referenced to the participants' sociodemographic characteristics, and information about their families' general attitudes toward sexuality, gender identity, and commitment to religious views. In total, 101 participants attended group psychotherapy sessions for at least a year. In these sessions, family and partner relationships, occupational problems, financial problems, medical issues, and religious concerns were discussed.

The incidence of suicide attempts, current suicidal thoughts, and lifetime suicidal thoughts were 29.8%, 9.2%, and 55.3%, respectively. In total, 76.7% of the suicide attempts occurred before the age of 21.

Transsexual individuals present a high risk of suicide, particularly during adolescence. This finding may be considered a sign for taking action to prevent suicide when working with transgender individuals, particularly during adolescence.