Why Do Transgender People Experience More Mental Health Issues

 

Transgender people face many familial and social challenges than other social groups. Even today, trans children, adolescents and adults encounter many issues including prejudice, bullying, discrimination, physical abuse, mental abuse, verbal abuse, stigma, harassment, poverty, social exclusion, homelessness, unemployment, not getting equal rights as other genders.

They often become estranged from family and rejected by peers and endure further marginalization by society. Stigma-related prejudice and discrimination and transphobic experiences can have a profoundly negative impact upon a person’s well being and may contribute to mental health issues related to minority stress, even leading to suicidal behaviour.

It is highlighted that 92.8% of transgender youth have experienced parental abuse or neglect, and 76 6% have experienced abuse or bullying at school because of their identity. They were 8 times more likely to have tried to commit suicide, 6 times more likely to report high levels of depression and 3 times more likely to use illegal drugs.

Yes, it all contributes towards adverse mental health outcomes among them. Research indicates that transgender people are somewhat more likely to have a psychiatric diagnosis. Within a global context, the health inequalities and social inclusion issues of transgender people are cited in national mental health policy initiatives.

WHY DO TRANS PEOPLE FACE MORE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES,

As the American Psychological Association pointed out in its March 2016 report on the impact of discrimination, "for many adults, dealing with discrimination results in a state of heightened vigilance and changes in behavior, which in itself can trigger stress responses, that is, even the anticipation of discrimination is sufficient to cause people to become stressed."

Being transgender is not a mental illness. But, people who identify as transgender (people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex assigned at birth) have higher rates of mental health complications than those in the general population due to gender dysphoria, stigma and discrimination. In addition to a higher prevalence of mental health issues, transgender people commonly experience barriers to healthcare, such as access of care, violence, and a lack of provider knowledge.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that transgender people, and other gender minorities, comprise roughly 0.3–0.5% (25 million) of the global population. The WHO adds that transgender people often experience disproportionately high levels of mental health conditions.

Unfortunately, discrimination even by medical and mental health professionals is a common reality for many transgender individuals.

Apparent ignorance of health services for just being a trans person is still a big problem today. Hospitals and medical staff are also unaware of how to treat transgender people, and how to meet their needs, because of a lack of treatment awareness. However, health vulnerabilities include diseases such as HIV, rectal gonorrhea, syphilis, rectal chlamydia and various forms of sexually transmitted diseases.

Research shows that a disproportionate number of trans people experience worse mental health than the general population, including higher rates of suicidality (12 times more likely), diagnosis with a mental disorder (3 times more likely), and experiences of psychological distress.

This is not because these problems are innate for trans people, but because of what we call social determinants of health, which use the conditions in which people live to understand their health experiences, among others.

MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS THAT TRANSGENDERS EXPERIENCE,

Though, some trans individuals don’t experience mental health issues at all; But for some, mental health and gender identity are deeply related. Generally, this isn’t due to being transgender, but to the social stigma that often exists.

The most common mental health issues are anxiety and depression. But some conditions are more severe among trans people, including:

Bipolar Disorder: Bipolar disorder is a chronic mood disorder that causes intense shifts in mood, energy levels and behavior. Manic and hypomanic episodes are the main sign of the condition, and most people with bipolar disorder also have depressive episodes.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD): BPD is a mental health condition. People with BPD have extreme mood swings, unstable relationships and trouble controlling their emotions. They have a higher risk of suicide and self-destructive behavior.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder): A mental health condition, people with DID have two or more separate personalities. These identities control a person’s behavior at different times. DID can cause gaps in memory and other problems.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): OCD is a mental health condition in which you have frequent unwanted thoughts that cause you to perform repetitive behaviors. Treatment for OCD usually involves psychotherapy and medication. The sooner OCD is diagnosed and treated, the better the outlook.

Schizophrenia: Schizophrenia refers to a condition and to a spectrum of disorders that all involve a disconnection from reality, including hallucinations and delusions. It also affects a person’s ability to recognize the symptoms they have of this condition. It’s a severe condition, but is treatable, and many people with it can still live happy, fulfilling lives.

Schizoaffective Disorder: It is a mental health condition with symptoms of schizophrenia and a mood disorder. People with schizoaffective disorder may experience depression, mania and psychosis. Schizoaffective disorder treatment often includes therapy and medications. This combination can improve symptoms and quality of life.

Anxiety Disorders: A 2016 comparative study suggests that transgender people experience more significant anxiety symptoms and have a nearly threefold increased risk of probable anxiety disorder.

Stress and transgender identity: Transgender people are likely to experience minority stress. This refers to chronically high levels of stress that people within stigmatized minority groups face. Research notes that expecting rejection is a frequent and noticeable stressor for trans individuals.

Low self-esteem: A 2014 study notes that trans people may experience low self-esteem due to experiencing gender dysphoria (a sense of unease regarding the mismatch between assigned sex and gender identity and it can occur at any point during life, from childhood to adulthood) and incongruence.

THE BEST ADVOCATES FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE AMONG TRANS-PEOPLE,

Various types of Talk and Psychotherapies can manage the symptoms of DID and OCD.

Medications can help treat BPD.

Lifestyle changes, including:

Joining local transgender advocacy groups can enable people to feel welcome and part of a community.

Establishing connections with other trans or gender nonconforming people can help dispel stereotypes and stigma.

Being involved and proud of a trans identity can lead to activism, which in turn can boost confidence.

Additionally, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation provides a comprehensive list of resources for transgender people