Mental Health of Transgender and Nonbinary Children and Youth: Informing Service Needs

Background: Many transgender and nonbinary youth face added challenges compared with their cisgender counterparts, including more adverse experiences and harassment, raising risks for secondary mental health problems. Data on the prevalence of mental health concerns for transgender and nonbinary young people is crucial for informing service planning to ensure adequate care and greater equity.

Methods: We conducted a systematic review of studies on the prevalence of mental disorders in transgender and nonbinary young people. Two studies met inclusion criteria, both conducted in the United States.

Results: One study found that 56.6% of transgender young people had experienced at least one mental disorder in the previous six months, with prevalence being between 5.9 and 13.0 higher than their cisgender counterparts. The second study found 4.2% of transgender youth had an eating disorder diagnosis, a proportion approximately 200% higher than expected. Rates of suicidal ideation and self-harm were also higher in transgender and non-binary youth than cisgender youth.

Conclusions: The high prevalence of mental health concerns for transgender and nonbinary young people underscores the need for accessible and effective mental health treatments with these populations. Efforts focused on prevention and monitoring are also essential for ensuring mental health equity for transgender and nonbinary young people.