Study: Depression And Addiction Common In Transgender Women

Depression and addiction were commonly found in transgender women compared to the general United States population according to a new study. More than a third of transgender women were found to have at least one mental health issue.

The new study conducted by Sari L. Reisner and colleagues from Boston Hospital and Harvard Medical School revealed that 41.5 percent of transgender women ages 16 to 29 were diagnosed with at least one mental health or substance dependence issues according to Med Page Today. In addition, 20.1 percent were diagnosed with two or more comorbid psychiatric conditions. The study was published in the JAMA Pediatrics.

Psychiatric Diagnoses and Comorbidities in Young Transgender Women https://t.co/aYYDgEs5AF

— JAMAPediatrics (@JAMAPeds) March 22, 2016

 For the study, the researchers interviewed 298 transgender women in Boston and Chicago between 2012 and 2015, Reuters reports. These participants were all sexually active and are part of Project LifeSkills, an HIV prevention trial project in Boston and Chicago during the same years.

Depression and addiction were found four times higher than the general U.S. population according to the study. In the last six months, 8 percent of the participants experienced anxiety, with one in 10 having post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). More so, about one in five participants reported suicidal thoughts in the past 30 days.

Last year, around 11 percent of the transgender women reported dependence on alcohol while 15 percent reported dependence on other substance. The chances of developing depression and addiction seem to increase with age, the study stated.

While the study is not entirely new, the data provides an opportunity to prevent the outcome from getting worse. It is important to note that the findings do not translate to transgender women being automatically inclined to develop depression and addiction. The development of mental health and addiction issues often comes out after gender transition and gender affirmation. 

The study concluded that the increased understanding of depression and addiction among these transgender women could prompt preventions as early as possible. More studies are needed in order to establish the interventions needed. To know more about depression and addiction, check out the video below: