2023-07-06 14:57:58
In Denmark, transgender people are almost eight times more likely to attempt suicide than the rest of the population, according to the first national study on the subject published in the scientific journal Journal of the American Medical Association.
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This study is the first in the world to present national statistics. Until now, only partial data were available but already showed that suicide and suicide attempts were much more frequent among transgender people.
In the United States, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than 56% of young transgender people have had suicidal thoughts during their lifetime and 31% have made at least one suicide attempt.
“Denmark is known to be a fairly liberal country. We might therefore fear that the rates are higher in other countries where transgender people are more stigmatized, discriminated once morest and victims of hate crimes, ”analyzes sociologist Annette Erlangsen, interviewed by AFP.
The Danish study, carried out between 1980 and 2021 on more than 6.6 million Danes over the age of 15 using data from the national identity register, shows that transgender people are 3.5 times more likely to die by suicide than the rest of the population.
Out of 3,759 identified transgender people, the study identified 12 suicides and 92 suicide attempts over the period. Over those 42 years, the death rate from suicide was 75 per 100,000 for transgender people compared to 21 for non-transgender people.
How to explain these numbers? For the project manager, this is mainly due to the phenomenon of “minority stress”.
“When you belong to a marginalized minority group, as is the case with transgender people, you experience more stress,” says sociologist Annette Erlangsen, referring to “difficult situations” such as choosing which public toilets to use.
“When you come into contact with the health system, physical examinations can be very difficult for transgender people to face,” she explains.
“We hope that our results will eliminate any remaining doubts that transgender people are a vulnerable group,” said Professor of Sexual Health and Epidemiology Morten Frisch, co-author of the study.
Furthermore, “the suicide attempts and deaths by suicide that we have observed and analyzed represent only the tip of the iceberg”, he asserts.
Loneliness, anxiety, depression
“Beneath that is an even greater burden of less visible mental health issues, such as loneliness, anxiety, depression, and nonsuicidal self-harm in transgender people,” says the doctor.
According to the study, the proportion of transgender people with psychiatric disorders (42.9%) is regarding six times higher than in the rest of the population (7.1%).
“Transgender people are more likely to suffer from mental disorders because of the stress they experience in society. It can also lead to what we call high-risk behavior,” adds her colleague.
“People can resort to other types of stimulants such as alcohol or narcotics, which can also lead to other health problems,” she points out.
Questioned by AFP, the LGBT + association judged the results of the study “deeply worrying and very painful, but not surprising”.
“I think we can use the study to launch more initiatives in this area, in order to offer better support,” suggests the director of the association, Susanne Branner.
For example, it is a question of better training the nursing staff but “we must change the discourse on transsexuality, so that everyone better understands what it is to be a transgender person”, she adds, welcoming a positive change in mentalities.
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