Research has consistently shown that transgender medical care is associated with positive mental health outcomes, including lower suicide risk, for trans and nonbinary youth
March 9, 2023 — The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention organization for LGBTQ young people, applauded the Governor of Minnesota’s executive order to protect access to transgender medical care for transgender and nonbinary people across the state.
“This executive order protecting transgender and nonbinary young people’s right to receive medically necessary care — as so many other states work to eliminate it — offers a much-needed glimmer of hope for young people in Minnesota and across the country. It is refreshing to see state leaders follow medical guidance and research in decision-making,” said Troy Stevenson (he/him), Director of State Advocacy Campaigns at The Trevor Project. “52% of trans and nonbinary youth in Minnesota seriously considered suicide in the past year, and there is best-practice medical care with the potential to reduce this risk. We urge elected leaders across the nation to do everything in their power to protect trans and nonbinary youth and their families amid this unprecedented wave of anti-trans policies – and that includes expanding access to care that has been life-saving for so many.”
The Trevor Project’s 2022 U.S. National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health by State found that 52% of transgender and nonbinary youth in Minnesota seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, and 17% attempted suicide. At a national level, The Trevor Project’s data has found that 71% of transgender and nonbinary youth reported that they have experienced discrimination based on their gender identity, and those who have reported significantly higher rates of attempting suicide in the past year compared to those who have not.
However, research has also consistently found that transgender medical care, is associated with positive mental health outcomes including showing promise for reducing suicide risk. A 2021 peer-reviewed study by The Trevor Project, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, found that receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy was associated with nearly 40% lower odds of recent depression and of a past-year suicide attempt among transgender and nonbinary young people under age 18.
According to The Trevor Project’s new polling, 86% of transgender and nonbinary youth say recent debates about state laws restricting the rights of transgender people have negatively impacted their mental health. When asked about new policies that will ban doctors from providing gender-affirming medical care to transgender and nonbinary youth, 74% of transgender and nonbinary youth said it made them feel angry, 59% felt stressed, 56% felt sad, 48% felt hopeless, 47% felt scared, 46% felt helpless, and 45% felt nervous.
If you or someone you know needs help or support, The Trevor Project’s trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat at TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678678.
