“Pathologizing and damaging”
Commenting for this news organiztion, Jack L. Turban, MD, incoming assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, said that “sadly” the findings are “largely in line with past studies that have shown dramatic mental health disparities” for transgender and gender diverse youth.
“The dramatically elevated odds of suicidality warrants particular public health concern,” said Dr. Turban, who was not involved with the study.
He noted these results “come at a time when transgender youth are under legislative attack in many states throughout the country, and the national rhetoric around them has been pathologizing and damaging.”
Dr. Turban said that he worries “if our national discourse around trans youth doesn’t change soon, that these disparities will worsen.”
Funding was provided to individual investigators by the Hugh Williamson Foundation, the Royal Children’s Hospital foundation, the National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Mr. Russell and Dr. Pang reported being members of the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health. Dr. Pang is a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and a member of the editorial board of the journal Transgender Health. Dr. Turban reported textbook royalties from Springer Nature, being on the scientific advisory board of Panorama Global (UpSwing Fund), and payments as an expert witness for the American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal, and Cooley LLP. He has received a pilot research award from AACAP and pharmaceutical partners (Arbor and Pfizer), a research fellowship from the Sorensen Foundation, and freelance payments from the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape.com.