A new study by JAMA Psychiatry found that exposure to attempts to change one’s gender identity from transgender to cisgender has been associated with causing a wide range of mental health issues. In other words, as we already knew, conversion therapy is bad for mental health.
The study was done by The Fenway Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital. It is one of the first studies that shows an association between exposure to gender identity conversion and metal health outcomes among transgender adults in the U.S.
“The rate of previous suicide attempts among transgender people in the united states is extremely high with 41 percent reporting that they have had that experience, ” said Dr. Alex Keuroghlian, senior author of the study who directs the National LGBT Health Education Center at The Fenway Institute and the Massachusetts General Hospital Psychiatry Gender Identity Program.
Findings from the study titled “Association Between Recalled Exposure to Gender Identity Conversion Efforts and Suicide Attempts” support recommendations by the American Psychiatric Association, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the American Academy of Pediatrics warning mental health care providers that gender identity conversion efforts at any age are harmful.
“One of the most alarming findings from this study was the association between exposure to gender identity conversion efforts during childhood and a four-fold increased odds of lifetime suicide attempts,” said Dr. Jack Turban, resident physician in psychiatry at The Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital and lead author of the study. “This is important, because some experts continue to advocate for gender identity conversion efforts for young children. We hope our findings contribute to ongoing legislative efforts to ban gender identity conversion efforts.”
The LGBTQ community is all-too-aware of youth mental health issues. Suicide is the leading cause of death in Colorado for ages 10 to 24. In order to help, it’s important to move away from conversion and into acceptance.
