Mental Health and Wellbeing Outcomes Among Trans Young People in Australia Who Are Supported to Affirm Their Gender

Young trans people face elevated rates of poor mental health and well-being outcomes. Affirming their gender in ways that are meaningful to them has important implications for these outcomes. However, limited research has examined the role of feeling supported to affirm their gender.

This study used the data of 1,697 trans youth drawn from a large survey of LGBTQA+ 14-21-year-olds in Australia. Regression analyses examined how feeling supported to affirm gender medically, legally, or socially, among those who expressed a desire to do so, was associated with mental health and well-being outcomes.

Participants who felt supported to affirm their gender medically, legally, or socially, reported less suicidal ideation and self-harm in the past 12 months as well as lower psychological distress, lower anxiety, and greater happiness. Support for medical and legal affirmation was associated with less suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Support for each form of gender affirmation was associated with lower odds of experiencing bias-based verbal and sexual harassment in the past 12 months, with support for legal and social affirmation associated with lower odds of experiencing bias-based physical harassment. Support for each form of gender affirmation was associated with lower odds of experiencing homelessness.

Supporting trans youth to affirm their gender in the ways that are meaningful to them is key to their health and well-being. Those who are in a position to provide support to young trans people to affirm their gender must be encouraged and equipped to do so.