Exploration of the Intersections of Race, Nonbinary Gender, Sex Assigned at Birth, and Deaf Identity on Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors in Transgender and Gender Diverse Adults

Background: Little is known about the prevalence of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, including suicidal ideation (SI), suicide attempts (SA), and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) for transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) deaf adults. Methods: This project used data collected as part of the 2017 TransLifeline Mental Health Survey. Study participants include N = 4245, self-identified TGD adults ages 18–87 that currently live in the United States. Chi-square analyses compared endorsement of lifetime and recent SI, SAs, and NSSI between TGD deaf and TGD hearing adults. Results: Compared to their TGD hearing peers, TGD deaf participants, regardless of gender identity, were more likely to endorse hospitalization for SI, despite equivalent endorsement of past-year and lifetime SI compared to their TGD hearing peers. Similarly, TGD deaf participants, regardless of gender or racial/ethnic identity, were more likely to endorse a lifetime hospitalization for a SA. Lastly, although TGD deaf participants were equally likely as their TGD hearing peers to endorse lifetime experiences of NSSI, TGD deaf participants were more likely to report hospitalization for NSSI. Conclusions: TGD deaf adults are at an increased risk of making a SA in their lifetime and at an increased risk for hospitalization for SI, SAs, and NSSI.