DigitalCommons@PCOM

Often overlooked risk factors of suicide in the transgender population: A case report and review

Philadelphia, PA

Transgender people have a gender identity or gender expression that differs from the sex that they were assigned at birth. Of note, the transgender population has been starting to get more attention from the psychiatric community due to the unique circumstances that transgender people have. Personal challenges can include dynamics of family rejection, bigotry, internalized transphobia, being denied proper bathroom assignments and housing access, among many others. This case illustrates the importance of recognizing that the transgender population has particular suicide risk factors that often go overlooked. Though there are many personal challenges and risk factors that may contribute to suicidality, three objective risk factors that physicians should consider when attempting to gauge suicidality in a transgender patient is their respective race/ethnicity, educational attainment, and income. According to the current literature, these three risk factors seem to be the a few of the most contributional to suicidal thoughts and behaviors among the transgender population. An astonishing 56% of transgender individuals report a history of experiencing suicidal ideation in their lifetime, with 29% having attempted suicide, it is paramount to consider how this population is disproportionally impacted by this circumstance. Finally, these suicidality risk factors seem to occur during every stage of transitioning, and this case study aims to disclose an intricate hole in the surveillance, prevention of harm, and overall quality of care in this unique patient population.