Students who identify as transgender, gender-nonconforming, genderqueer and nonbinary are far more likely to experience mental health problems than their peers, Boston University researchers and collaborators reveal in an article published in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
“Gender Minority Mental Health in the U.S.: Results of a National Survey on College Campuses” found “compelling evidence of mental health inequities” when researchers examined mental health outcomes in a randomly selected sample of more than 1,200 gender minority students on 71 U.S. campuses.
Specifically, the survey reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-injury and suicidality among gender-minority students. About 78 percent met the criteria for one or more mental health problems compared to 45 percent of cisgender students, which are students whose sex assigned at birth aligns with their current gender identity.
The study also found that 60 percent of gender-minority students screened positive for clinically significant depression, compared to 28 percent of cisgender students.
“There has never been a more important time for colleges and universities to take action to protect and support trans, genderqueer and nonbinary students on campus,” said Dr. Sarah Ketchen Lipson, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor of health law, policy and management in Boston University’s School of Public Health.
Lipson said policymakers also should act on the findings.
“Mental health outcomes, as well as negative educational outcomes like dropping out, are preventable,” said Lipson. “The most effective way to prevent them would be, from my perspective, through policy changes. Inclusive policies are necessary to advance equity. And that’s what I really want these data to speak to.”
