Transgender mental health: Transgender population mental health struggles intensify

• Author:
• Author name

  Quantumrun Foresight
• April 6, 2022

Insight summary

The complex challenges faced by the transgender community, ranging from unemployment to social stigma, have led to a critical situation in mental health, with alarming rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide. These issues are further compounded by the lack of access to essential healthcare and the absence of viable insurance policies for transgender-specific medical needs. The long-term implications of this crisis call for comprehensive solutions that include educational reform, legal protections, corporate responsibility, and a more compassionate societal approach to gender diversity.

Transgender mental health context

Transgender rights advocates have suggested that unemployment has a domino-like effect on transgender people, where a lack of work leads to transgender people being unable to access medical care, therapy services, and insurance. A population already plagued by low mental health levels and a proportionally high suicide rate, these struggles combined with increased social isolation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic only worsened the mental health within the transgender community. The situation is further complicated by the lack of support systems and the financial constraints that many face. 

The primary causes of poor mental health among transgender individuals can be broadly narrowed down to how they are treated by the respective communities and societies they reside in. The greatest social challenges facing the transgender community include gender discrimination, social stigma, verbal and physical abuse, and erasure. These challenges are not isolated but are often interconnected, creating a hostile environment for many transgender individuals. The lack of understanding and empathy from others may lead to feelings of exclusion and marginalization, which can have a profound impact on mental well-being.

Gender dysphoria, a psychological pain caused by living in a body that does not conform with a person's gender identity, has also led to transgender persons suffering from poor mental health, resulting in above-average cases of depression, anxiety disorder, and suicide. Education and awareness about gender dysphoria are essential to foster a more compassionate society. By recognizing the unique needs and experiences of transgender individuals, we can create a more inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their gender identity.

Disruptive impact

An online survey of 27,715 transgender people in 2015 revealed that 40 percent of the transgender population had attempted suicide compared to five percent of the general population. The survey also revealed that 82 percent of transgender people had seriously considered suicide at some point in their life compared to 15 percent among the general population. Prior research had also indicated that 43 percent of transgender people in Ontario, Canada had attempted suicide compared to about 4 percent of the general Canadian population.

Upon the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, calls to Trans Lifeline, a crisis telephone line operated by transgender people, increased by 40 percent. At Whitman-Walker, an LGBTQ-focused community health center in Washington D.C., mental health providers reported that patient admissions had risen by 25 percent since the pandemic’s onset. In addition, statistics indicated that homicides committed against transgender people increased exponentially. For example, at least 27 violent deaths among the transgender and gender-nonconformist communities were recorded in the US in 2019. By mid-2020, 26 homicides had already been tracked by the Human Rights Campaign.

Clinicians and medical experts can provide transgender people with increased mental health support, such as providing a safe space for gender-questioning and transgender youths to explore their gender identity. Medical experts can speak with transgender youths on an individual basis in the absence of their parents and ask open-ended questions to assess these youths' mental health status. Employers can take part in these interventions by ensuring that transgender employees are not discriminated against by their fellow workers. 

Implications of transgender mental health

Wider implications of a transgender mental health may include:

• Increasing rates of suicide among the transgender population due to rising social stigma and gender discrimination, leading to urgent calls for mental health support and community outreach programs tailored to the unique needs of this community.


• Inability to access healthcare due to either low income because of unemployment or insurance companies failing to provide transgender people with viable healthcare policies that cover surgeries particular to the transgender population, resulting in a growing health crisis that may require government intervention and policy reform.


• Decreased awareness among the general population of the struggles faced by the transgender community, leading to a lack of empathy and understanding that could hinder social cohesion and foster a more divided society.


• A shift in corporate hiring practices to actively include transgender individuals, leading to a more diverse workforce and potentially enhancing creativity and collaboration within organizations.


• The development of new educational curricula that emphasize empathy, inclusion, and understanding of gender diversity, leading to a more compassionate and accepting younger generation.


• Governments enacting laws to protect transgender rights and ensure equal access to public services..


• The emergence of specialized mental health services and support networks for transgender individuals, leading to improved well-being and community engagement.


• A potential increase in advocacy and activism around transgender rights, leading to greater visibility and societal change but also possibly sparking backlash and resistance from certain segments of the population.


• The creation of new business opportunities in healthcare, insurance, and other sectors to specifically cater to the needs of the transgender community.

Question to consider

• How can the general public be made more aware of the mental health struggles and discrimination faced by transgender people?


• Should lawmakers devise and promulgate laws that direct insurance companies to create healthcare policies that transgender people can purchase?