What motivates a young transgender person to use drugs?

Publicly released:
Australia; NSW; WA
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash
Photo by Alexander Grey on Unsplash

Drug and alcohol use is higher among young gender diverse Australians compared to their peers, according to local research. The researchers surveyed 859 trans/non-binary people in Australia aged 14 to 25 online about their drug and alcohol use, and say drug and alcohol use was higher among the participants compared to the general population of young people in Australia. 13.5% of the participants had been diagnosed with a substance use disorder, the researchers say, with higher rates among transgender men and women compared to non-binary people. Asking the participants about their motivations for using alcohol and drugs, the researchers say their motivations were often related to having fun, self-exploration and community, but some were likely using substances to cope with mental health problems and difficulties around their gender expression.

Journal/
conference:
Drug and Alcohol Review
Research:Paper
Organisation/s: The University of Sydney, The University of Western Australia, Curtin University, Telethon Kids Institute
Funder: None reported
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