Gender-Based Violence and Suicide Among Gender-Diverse Populations in the United States

Abstract

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.

Highlights

• Suicide ideation and attempts varies by race and gender, including for people with diverse gender identities

• Transgender women and crossdressers are more likely to have attempted suicide than transgender men or gender-nonbinary individuals

• Suicide ideation and suicide attempts are associated with gender, race, employment, survival and transactional sex, violence exposure, and age

Keywords:

• Crossdressers
• gender-diverse
• suicide
• transgender
• violence

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

This paper used data from the United States Transgender Survey (USTS). Data are not publicly available, and Dr. Small received the data after completing the USTS application and obtaining full University Institutional Review Board approval.

James, S. E., Herman, J., Keisling, M., Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2015). 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS). Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor]. Retrieved from 10.3886/ICPSR37229.v1.

James, S. E., Herman, J. L., Rankin, S., Keisling, M., Mottet, L., & Anafi, M. (2016). The Report of the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality.

Notes

1 The reciprocal of the odds ratio converts the reference group. For example, transgender men were significantly less likely (OR = 0.55), which also means transgender women were 1.8 times more likely than transgender men, to have thought about suicide.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the UCLA Faculty Career Development Award.

Notes on contributors

Latoya A. Small

Latoya A. Small, PhD, Department of Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Luskin School of Public Affairs; Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Sarah M. Godoy

Sarah M. Godoy, MSW, School of Social Work, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Caitlin Lau

Caitlin Lau, MSW, Department of Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Luskin School of Public Affairs, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Todd Franke

Todd Franke, PhD, Department of Social Welfare, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Luskin School of Public Affairs, Los Angeles, CA, USA.