For transgender youth, a supportive family can save lives

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-07-16 01:00

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***This media release contains information some readers may find distressing as it refers to data about mental health, suicide and self-harm. If you or anyone you know needs help, support is available now. Call Lifeline (Aus) on 131 114 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, or Lifeline (NZ) on 0800 543 354. ***

Transgender young people who have supportive families are less likely to attempt suicide or run away from home than those whose families are not supportive, according to US researchers. They studied 18,303 transgender people, and found they were most at risk of suicide attempts or running away when they hit certain gender identity milestones. Four of these were identified: feeling one’s gender was different; thinking of oneself as transgender; telling another that one is transgender; and living full-time in one’s gender identity. However, this link only held true when families were unsupportive. Among those who lived in supportive families, there was no increased risk of suicide attempts or running away when young people hit these gender milestones. The findings highlight the importance of family support for young transgender people, the researchers say, and suggest social services and community resources to establish supportive relationships between transgender children and their parents are essential.