Study Finds Transgender and Gender-Nonconforming Students More Likely to Report Issues With Mental Health

Title: Gender Minority Mental Health in the U.S.: Results of a National Survey on College Campuses

Source: American Journal of Preventive Medicine

Author: Sarah Ketchen Lipson, Julia Raifman, Sara Abelson, Sari L. Reisner

A recent study used data from the 2015-2017 Healthy Minds Study to examine the mental health of 1,237 transgender and gender non-conforming students on 71 U.S. college campuses.

The authors compared various mental health issues of these students relative to those of cisgender* students, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-injury, and suicidality. According to the findings, transgender and gender non-conforming students were much more likely than cisgender students to report experiencing mental health issues (78 percent compared with 45 percent). Rates of suicidal ideation (serious thoughts of taking one’s own life), suicide plans, and suicide attempts were also 3 to 4 times higher among transgender and gender non-conforming students than cisgender students.

As the authors note, these findings demonstrate the critical nature of colleges and universities to prioritize the mental health of transgender and gender non-conforming students.

To access the study, please click here.

*Cisgender means someone identifies with the biological sex they were assigned at birth.