Extent of Gender Identity Transitioning among Transgender Adults: Underlying Factors and Its Relationship to Psychological Distress and Suicidal Ideation
Abstract:
Purpose: Very little research has examined a true variety of transition milestones among transgender adults. This paper examines various transition milestones, the factors underlying them, and their relationship to psychological distress and suicidal ideation.
Methods: Data from the 2015 U.S. National Transgender Survey were used to examine transition milestones in a sample of 27,715 transgender Americans aged 18 or older. Eleven specific transition milestones were examined. The Kessler-6 scale was used to measure psychological distress and a dichotomous measure of past-year suicidal ideation was the other main outcome measure. Covariates in the multivariate analysis included sociodemograph ic variables and measures of anti-transgender harassment, discrimination, and violence.
Results: Most (72.5%) respondents reported reaching one to six of the transition milestones. The more milestones that people reached, the less likely they were to experience psychological distress or suicidal ideation. Factors un derlying the number of transition milestones reached included age, adverse socioeconomic conditions, nonbinary gender identity, and having been urged by a professional not to be transgender.
Conclusions: Reaching more transition milestones tends to be beneficial to many transgender persons’ mental health functioning. Younger persons, those experiencing adverse socioeconomic conditions, nonbinary individ uals, and those who have been urged by a professional not to be transgender were likely to have reached fewer transition milestones.
