Half of trans male teens have attempted suicide

More than half (51 percent) of trans male teenagers have attempted suicide in the past year, according to new research.

The new study by researchers at the University of Arizona also found that more than four in 10 (42 percent) of non-binary adolescents and 30 percent of trans female teens had attempted suicide.

Overall, more than a quarter (28 percent) of teenagers questioning their gender identity had tried to take their own life.

The new research has found trans and non-binary teenagers are significantly more likely to attempt suicide. (Getty)

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among teenagers and young adults aged between 10 and 34 in the US.

The latest data revealed that transgender and non-binary teens—aged between 11 and 19—are at a significantly greater risk of attempting suicide than their peers who are cisgender, meaning their gender identity is the same as the sex they were assigned at birth.

Nearly two in 10 (18 percent) of cis female teens, and 10 percent of cis male adolescents, had tried to end their lives, according to the study.

Russ Toomey, an associate professor at the University of Arizona, who led the research, based his findings on an analysis of data from the Profiles of Student Life: Attitudes and Behaviors survey—a national survey of 120,617 adolescents in the US.

The survey, carried out between 2012 and 2015, included data from 202 transgender teenagers, 70 per cent of which were trans male adolescents.

Previous research has show that an alarming percentage of transgender people have attempted suicide. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

Commenting on his research, Toomey said: “Transmasculine youth and non-binary youth are the two populations that often are the least focused on in the transgender community.

“So really reorganising our efforts to focus in and try to really understand and learn about the experiences of these youth is critical.”

Building on Previous research

Past research has shown that a shocking proportion of transgender people have attempted suicide.

In 2016, a study by the NationalCentre for Transgender Equality found that 40 percent of transgender people had tried to end their lives.

The 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey revealed that one in four trans adults reported attempting suicide.

Other studies have also revealed that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) young people are more likely to attempt suicide than their straight counterparts.

A 2016 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) young people are almost three times as likely to seriously contemplate suicide than heterosexual youths.

It also found that LGB youth were five times more likely to have attempted suicide than heterosexual young people.

If you are in the US and are having suicidal thoughts, suffering from anxiety or depression, or just want to talk, call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255. If you are in the UK, you can contact the Samaritans on 116 123. 

• Nov 29 2023

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