Anchoring to life: A photovoice study of resiliencies among sexual and gender minority women post-suicide attempt

Lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer, and other sexual and gender minority (SGM) women are at high risk of suicide. Stigma, discrimination, and exclusion are known risk factors. Contrasting longstanding trends of risk-focused research, this study examines the experiences of SGM women who have attempted suicide focusing on their embodied strengths and resiliencies to continue living post-attempt. […]

The link between discrimination and worst point suicidal ideation among sexual and gender minority adults

Objective Sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults often report a disproportionately high rate of suicidal ideation compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. The current study aimed to understand the relationship between discrimination for one’s sexual orientation or gender identity and suicidal ideation. We hypothesized that discrimination would be associated with suicidal ideation at one’s […]

Variation in suicide risk among subgroups of sexual and gender minority college students

Objective Sexual and gender minorities are at elevated risk for suicide, yet few studies have examined differences in risk within many sexual and gender minority subgroups. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in prevalence for suicide risk factors among a wide range of sexual orientations and gender identities. Method Forty-one thousand four […]

Suicidal self-directed violence among gender minority individuals: A systematic review

Objective Gender minority individuals represent a population at increased risk for suicidal self-directed violence (SDV). However, traditional models of suicidal SDV fail to consider gender minority population-specific factors that may buffer or exacerbate risk; further, while sexual and gender minority (SGM) health disparity frameworks may be extended suicidal SDV outcomes among gender minority individuals, little […]

Proximal correlates of suicidal ideation among transgender and gender diverse people: A preliminary test of the three-step theory

Introduction Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people experience higher rates of suicidal ideation than their cisgender peers; however, very little is known about factors that proximally relate to suicidal ideation in this population. This limited understanding may be due to the lack of theory-guided studies that are capable of testing proximal correlates of suicidal ideation […]

Experiences of hospitalization for suicide ideation and suicide attempt in gender diverse adults

Introduction This study sought to investigate general perceptions of suicide-related hospital-based care that Transgender/Gender Diverse (TGD) adults have experienced as well as correlates of their perceived usefulness of this care. Methods Data were collected via a cross-sectional online survey of N = 3718 self-identified TGD individuals. Single-item self-report measures of all constructs of interest were used. Results A […]

Moderating role of coping in the association between minority stress and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among sexual and gender minority young adults

Objective This study examined associations of minority stressors (i.e., victimization, internalized homonegativity, and stigma consciousness), and coping styles (i.e., active, avoidant, and passive) with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts (suicidality) among sexual and gender minority (SGM) young adults, and whether coping style moderated these associations. Methods Logistic regression analyses examined these associations among 1432 SGM […]

Factors that drive mental health disparities and promote well- being in transgender and nonbinary people

Transgender (or trans) is an umbrella term for individuals who experience their gender differently from what is associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Individuals who are nonbinary experience their gender outside binary conceptions of gender. Although research has predominantly focused on negative mental health outcomes for transgender and non-binary (TNB) individuals, an […]

Mental health services use and depressive symptom scores among gay and bisexual men in Canada

Purpose To evaluate the association between mental health services (MHS) use and depressive symptom scores among gay and bisexual men (GBM) and compare with heterosexual men in Canada. Methods We used data from the 2015–2016 cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the PHQ-9 questionnaire (prior two weeks). MHS consultations […]

Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) for high-risk transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth: A qualitative study of youth and mental health providers’ perspectives on intervention relevance

Objectives Despite the significant mental health challenges and unique treatment needs of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth, research on the acceptability of evidence-based treatments for these youth is limited. To address this gap, the current study explored the perceived relevance of dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) for high-risk TGD youth. Methods Qualitative data were collected […]

Being safe, being me 2019: Results of the Canadian trans and non-binary youth health survey

In 2014, Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre (SARAVYC) conducted a bilingual survey to learn about the health of transgender youth in Canada. It was the first and largest of its kind in Canada, with 923 young people responding. From this report, recommendations—such as developing safe, more inclusive schools and providing support for families […]

Queering gender-based violence prevention & response in Canada

Gender-based violence (GBV) in 2SLGBTQ+ communities is pervasive but stigmatized; it is both hyper-visible and invisibilized, known and neglected. Transphobia, homophobia, and biphobia are structural forms of GBV that  2SLGBTQ+ communities navigate every day in their public and private lives. 2SLGBTQ+ communities experience family violence, intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual violence, and street harassment, but […]

Guidance to support gender affirming care for mental health

Mental health support is something that people of all genders may need at some point in their lives. Nearly 1 in 5 people in Australia will experience some form of mental health condition in the next year, a number that is  expected to be even higher for trans and/or gender diverse people. This guide is […]

Associations of discrimination, suicide ideation severity and attempts, and depressive symptoms among sexual and gender minority youth

We examined the unique associations among discrimination, suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, and depressive symptoms in a sample of sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth as well as interpersonal mediators of these associations. Participants included 94 SGM youth (Mage = 18; SD = 2.88) recruited from SGM-specific drop-in centers. We used mediation analyses to test the mediating effects of […]

Attachment-based family therapy for sexual and gender minority young adults and their nonaccepting parents

This pilot open trial examined the efficacy of attachment-based family therapy (ABFT) for Israeli sexual and gender minority (SGM) young adults and their persistently nonaccepting parents. Thirty families received up to 26 weeks of treatment, with parental rejection, parental acceptance, and young adults’ attachment avoidance and attachment anxiety assessed at baseline, 8, 16, 24, and 36 weeks […]

Characteristics and perceptions of sexual and gender minority youth who utilized a national sexual and gender minority-focused crisis service

Background: Sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) have heightened risk of suicidality; yet, we know little about their experiences when utilizing crisis services. Aims: The purpose of this study was to understand the characteristics and experiences of SGMY when in contact with SGMY-specific suicide crisis services. Method: Data were from 592 SGMY who contacted the most widely utilized national US […]

Spreading pride in all who served: A health education program to improve access and mental health outcomes for sexual and gender minority veterans

Access to effective, replicable services is critical to reduce known mental health disparities for sexual and gender minority or LGBTQ+ veterans (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and related identities). This paper examines the impact of a manualized 10-week health education group, called PRIDE in All Who Served on veteran patient experience, protective factors (e.g., […]

Associations between minority stress, depression, and suicidal ideation and attempts in transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Minority stress theory posits that transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals exhibit greater rates of depression and suicidality due to internal (proximal) and external (distal) stressors related to their TGD identity. Yet, the magnitude of the relationship between minority stress processes and mental health outcomes has not been quantitatively summarized. The current research meta-analyzed the relationship between […]

Mental health outcomes in transgender and nonbinary youths receiving gender-affirming care

Objective  To investigate changes in mental health over the first year of receiving gender-affirming care and whether initiation of puberty blockers (PBs) and gender-affirming hormones (GAHs) was associated with changes in depression, anxiety, and suicidality. Design, Setting, and Participants  This prospective observational cohort study was conducted at an urban multidisciplinary gender clinic among TNB adolescents and young […]

How do sexual and gender minority people acquire the capability for suicide? Voices from survivors of near-fatal suicide attempts

Despite well-documented disparities by sexual and gender minority (SGM) status in suicide attempt and mortality rates, few studies have investigated the lived experiences that contribute to SGM people’s disproportionate risk of suicide. Having a history of at least one near-fatal (or medically serious) suicide attempt serves as a proxy for suicide mortality, but no known […]

Examining the mental health presentations of treatment‑seeking transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) youth

Recent research suggests that transgender and/or gender nonconforming (TGNC) youth present with heightened levels of mental health problems compared to peers. This study seeks to examine the mental health needs of a large sample of treatment-seeking TGNC youth by comparing them to cisgender males and females. Participants were 94,804 children and youth ages 4–18 years […]

Associations between minority stress, depression, and suicidal ideation and attempts in transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Minority stress theory posits that transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals exhibit greater rates of depression and suicidality due to internal (proximal) and external (distal) stressors related to their TGD identity. Yet, the magnitude of the relationship between minority stress processes and mental health outcomes has not been quantitatively summarized. The current research meta-analyzed the […]

Association of gender-affirming hormone therapy with depression, thoughts of suicide, and attempted suicide among transgender and nonbinary youth

Purpose: There are no large-scale studies examining mental health among transgender and nonbinary youth who receive gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). The purpose of this study is to examine associations among access to GAHT with depression, thoughts of suicide, and attempted suicide among a large sample of transgender and nonbinary youth. Methods: Data were collected as […]