High suicide and mortality rates prevalent in transgender individuals:JAMA

A Danish study spanning more than four decades found that transgender individuals had increased rates of suicide attempt and mortality. The findings of this study was published in the Journal of American Medical Association.The research team led by Annette Erlangsen aimed to fill this gap by analyzing population-based data and evaluating the incidence of suicide attempts and various causes of mortality among transgender individuals.

The study identified a total of 3,759 transgender individuals, comprising approximately 0.06% of the study population. These individuals faced significantly higher rates of suicide attempts compared to their nontransgender counterparts, with a standardized rate of 498 per 100,000 person-years compared to 71 per 100,000 person-years.

Moreover, the study revealed elevated suicide mortality rates among transgender individuals, with a standardized rate of 75 per 100,000 person-years, compared to 21 per 100,000 person-years in the nontransgender population.

Disturbingly, transgender individuals also exhibited higher rates of suicide-unrelated mortality and all-cause mortality. The standardized suicide-unrelated mortality rate was 2,380 per 100,000 person-years for transgender individuals, while it stood at 1,310 per 100,000 person-years for nontransgender individuals.

Similarly, the standardized all-cause mortality rate was 2,559 per 100,000 person-years for transgender individuals, compared to 1,331 per 100,000 person-years for nontransgender individuals.

These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions and support systems to address the mental health challenges faced by transgender individuals. While suicide attempt and mortality rates have shown a decline over the studied period, the study revealed that these rates remained significantly elevated even in recent calendar periods.

While this study provides crucial insights, it also emphasizes the need for further research and exploration into the complex factors influencing transgender mental health. 'By continuing to investigate and understand these disparities, we can strive to develop more effective prevention strategies, targeted interventions, and support networks for transgender individuals,' concluded the Authors.

Source:

Erlangsen, A., Jacobsen, A. L., Ranning, A., Delamare, A. L., Nordentoft, M., & Frisch, M. (2023). Transgender Identity and Suicide Attempts and Mortality in Denmark. In JAMA (Vol. 329, Issue 24, p. 2145). American Medical Association (AMA). https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2023.8627