Content Warning: This article discusses suicide. Please return to the homepage if you are not comfortable with the topic. If you are in distress and need someone to talk to, please call 988, text HELLO to 741741, or visit the crisis hotline’s website.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A “first-of-its kind” study, published Thursday in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, shows a link between anti-transgender laws and suicide attempts by 13-24 year-olds, according to suicide prevention nonprofit The Trevor Project.
“The recent wave of anti-transgender laws in the United States is quite literally risking the lives of young people across the country,” said The Trevor Project VP of Research Dr. Ronita Nath, in a press release. “From a scientific perspective, studying the phenomenon of how these policies impact LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health is relatively new.”
The study looked at the 19 states that enacted “laws that restrict the rights of transgender and non-binary people” between 2018 and 2022. Texas was one of those states.
“In our analysis of data collected from more than 61,000 transgender and nonbinary youth across five years, this study critically confirms – for the first time – a causal relationship between anti-transgender laws and heightened suicide risk among transgender and nonbinary young people,” Nath said.
Its findings showed a 7-72% increase in suicide attempts by 13-17 year-olds in the year following enactment of an anti-transgender law. A wider look at 13-24 year-olds showed an increase of 38-44%.
“This trend is consistent with many state-level anti-transgender laws targeting minors under the age of 18 and therefore limiting the ability of these young people to access gender-affirming care or facilities and participate in activities with their peers,” wrote the researchers in the study’s discussion section.
These increases occurred in the year after a law was enacted. There was no significant indication that introduction or discussion of anti-transgender bills also caused spikes in suicidality; however, the researchers said this could be a constructive line for future studies. The research did not look at non-legislative changes to state policy, such as the Texas Department of Public Safety’s move to block ID changes.
“These laws are not abstract legislative actions; they have the power to shape the mental health and life trajectories of a vulnerable community,” the researchers wrote. “Such laws may exacerbate social isolation, hinder educational access and achievement, and as a result, limit economic opportunities through wage and other systemic disparities.”
The study can be read online at this link.
“It is without question that anti-transgender policies, and the dangerous rhetoric surrounding them, take a measurable toll on the health and safety of transgender and nonbinary young people all across the country,” said Trevor Project CEO Jaymes Black in the release.
In 2022, the Texas Department of Health and Human Services removed The Trevor Project from its suicide prevention resources, according to reporting by NBC News.
