A new study published in BMJ Mental Health in February sheds light on the suicide risk associated with sexual anxiety and transgender identity. Researchers found that while suicides were slightly more common among young Finnish individuals who sought help at gender identity clinics due to gender anxiety, this difference was attributed to serious mental health problems rather than gender anxiety itself.
The study, conducted by Sami-Matti Ruuska from the University of Tampere, found that nearly three out of four young people who applied to gender identity clinics had received psychiatric treatment in a specialized hospital. The researchers highlighted the importance of addressing mental health disorders in young people suffering from sexual anxiety to prevent suicides, rather than solely focusing on gender reassignment treatments.
The study included data from young people under 23 who visited gender identity clinics between 1996 and 2019. By June 2022, 11 individuals from the study group had died, with seven of them committing suicide. Comparatively, 44 individuals from the control group had died, with 13 suicides. Overall, the study found that the suicide risk among those with gender anxiety did not differ significantly from the comparison group when mental health disorders requiring specialized medical treatment were taken into account. The results suggest that mental health treatment and support are crucial in addressing suicide risk in young people with sexual anxiety.
