Gender-based violence and suicide among gender-diverse populations in the United States

Objectives: Transgender populations report higher suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts than the general population. This study sought to identify predictors of suicide in individuals with diverse gender identities, including transgender women; transgender men; and gender-nonbinary, genderqueer, and crossdressing individuals within various racial/ethnic groups.

Methods: Secondary analyses were conducted using the United States Transgender Survey (N = 27,204). The dependent variables were SI and suicide attempts in the past 12 months. The independent variables were gender, race, employment status, transactional sex, exposure to violence, and age. Bivariate, multivariable, and nested models were used to examine the association between variables.

Results: Findings reveal transgender women to be more likely to report SI than other gender groups. White and Hispanic/Latino participants were more likely to have SI than Black participants. Transgender men and gender-nonbinary groups were significantly less likely to attempt suicide than transgender women, and crossdressers were not significantly different in suicide attempts than transgender women. Increased exposure to violence was associated with increased SI and suicide attempts. Increased age and part- or full-time employment were associated with decreased SI and suicide attempts. White transgender women were more likely to have attempted suicide than white transgender men and gender-nonbinary groups. Asian and biracial transgender women were more likely to have attempted suicide than the other gender groups.

Conclusions: Findings illuminate differences in suicide among individuals with diverse racial and gender identities and support the call for continued research on mental health experiences of these populations.