Suicide exposure in transgender and gender diverse adults

Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine the psychological effects of suicide exposure for Transgender and Gender Diverse (TGD) adults. Method: Using data from a national online survey of 2784 self-identified TGD adults, the current study investigated the prevalence of suicide death and suicide attempt exposure and demographic and mental health correlates. Results: Nearly sixty percent of the sample (57.9%) reported they were close to at least one person who attempted suicide, and more than a quarter of the sample reported they were close to at least one person who died by suicide. Exposure to either the suicide attempt or death of another individual was related to multiple indicators of psychological distress. Conclusions: Exposure to the suicidal behavior of close others is prevalent in TGD individuals: over half of participants were close to someone who attempted suicide, more than in population-based studies of suicide exposure. Exposure appears to have a potential effect on recent indicators of psychological distress and suicide risk, which is important to consider when working in TGD communities.