A clinically neglected topic: Risk of suicide in transgender individuals.

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