In 2023, 56% of trans youth who reported depression also said they had suicidal thoughts, and 70% avoided school because of safety fears. Those figures land alongside 2021 data showing transgender people face a 60% lifetime rate of major depression. The same pattern shows up across mental health, harassment, and policy access, where improvements after affirming care sit next to alarmingly high distress rates.
Key Takeaways
- Trevor Project 2023: 56% trans youth with depression reported suicidal ideation
- NIMH data 2021: Transgender individuals have 60% lifetime major depression rate
- JAMA Network Open 2020: 50% of trans adults screened positive for depression
- 46% of transgender individuals reported verbal harassment in the USTS 2015
- Trevor Project 2023: 70% trans youth avoided school due to safety fears
- Human Rights Campaign 2022: 54% trans people experienced family rejection
- 2015 USTS: Hormone access improved mental health by 60%
- Cornell University review (2019): 80% mental health improvement post-transition
- JAMA Pediatrics 2022: Puberty blockers reduced depression by 60% in youth
- Substance Abuse 2021: 28% trans adults meet alcohol use disorder criteria
- SAMHSA 2022 NSDUH: Transgender past-year illicit drug use 39% vs 19% cis
- JAMA Pediatrics 2020: Trans youth vaping rates 32% vs 14% overall
- In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS), 40% of transgender respondents reported attempting suicide at some point in their lifetime
- The Trevor Project's 2023 National Survey found that 41% of transgender and nonbinary youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year
- A 2020 study in JAMA Pediatrics reported that transgender adolescents had a suicide attempt rate of 14.3% in the past year compared to 1.7% for cisgender peers
Across major studies, transgender youth and adults face much higher depression and suicidal risk.
Related reading
01 · Category
Depression And Anxiety Disorders26 stats
01
Trevor Project 2023: 56% trans youth with depression reported suicidal ideation
02
NIMH data 2021: Transgender individuals have 60% lifetime major depression rate
03
JAMA Network Open 2020: 50% of trans adults screened positive for depression
04
Williams Institute 2023: Trans adults 4x more likely to have serious psychological distress
05
CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System 2019: 54% trans respondents had depression diagnosis
06
The Lancet 2021: Anxiety disorders in 42% of trans population vs 10% general
07
Trans PULSE 2020: 66% of trans women reported anxiety symptoms
08
Pediatrics 2019: Trans youth depression rates 60% vs 12% cisgender
09
American Journal of Psychiatry 2022: Post-transition depression persisted in 31%
10
HCPFT study UK 2021: 70% of gender dysphoric youth had anxiety disorder
11
Journal of Affective Disorders 2020: Trans men GAD prevalence 48%
12
GLSEN 2023: 73% trans students felt persistently sad or hopeless
13
Fenway Institute 2022: 52% trans/nonbinary depression in primary care
14
BMC Psychiatry 2019: Lifetime PTSD 37% in trans vs 6% cis, but anxiety 45%
15
Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 2021: Anxiety mediates 65% of dysphoria-depression link
16
Clinical Child Psychology 2022: 55% trans adolescents met anxiety disorder criteria
17
Archives of Sexual Behavior 2020: Social anxiety 40% in trans adults
18
Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology 2023: 62% depression in pre-pubertal gender diverse
19
Psychiatric Services 2019: 49% trans veterans with anxiety disorders
20
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 2021: 58% comorbid anxiety in GD clinic referrals
21
International Journal of Transgender Health 2022: Panic disorder 25% lifetime in trans
22
Health Affairs 2020: Depression odds ratio 2.7 for trans vs cis
23
Trevor Project 2020: 53% trans youth anxiety symptoms past year
24
JAMA Pediatrics 2023: 51% persistent depression post-social transition
25
Australian Institute of Family Studies 2021: 47% trans youth generalized anxiety
26
New England Journal of Medicine 2019: Anxiety 39% in hormone therapy seekers
Interpretation
Depression And Anxiety Disorders Interpretation
Across depression and anxiety disorders, trans people consistently show dramatically higher mental health burden, with rates such as 56% reporting suicidal ideation linked to depression in 2023 and anxiety disorders appearing in 42% compared with 10% in the general population.
02 · Category
Experiences Of Discrimination And Violence27 stats
01
46% of transgender individuals reported verbal harassment in the USTS 2015
02
Trevor Project 2023: 70% trans youth avoided school due to safety fears
03
Human Rights Campaign 2022: 54% trans people experienced family rejection
04
FBI Hate Crime Statistics 2021: 338 incidents against trans people, up 33%
05
Williams Institute 2020: 30% trans adults denied equal healthcare treatment
06
National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs 2019: 25 trans murders annually
07
GLSEN 2021: 77% trans students felt unsafe at school
08
Transgender Europe 2022: 375 trans murders worldwide
09
Pew Research 2022: 38% trans adults harassed in public bathrooms
10
CDC 2020: 24% trans students physically attacked
11
Journal of Interpersonal Violence 2019: 47% lifetime sexual assault trans women
12
Urban Institute 2021: 34% workplace discrimination trans employees
13
Amnesty International 2023: 60% cyberbullying targeted at trans youth
14
Family Acceptance Project 2018: Rejection leads to 8.4x homelessness trans youth
15
Trans Lifeline 2022: 41% police mistreatment reports
16
Lambda Legal 2020: 33% denied housing trans
17
Stonewall UK 2021: 41% trans people experienced hate crime
18
Australian Human Rights Commission 2019: 61% discrimination in education
19
EU FRA 2020: 49% trans EU citizens harassed daily
20
Journal of Homosexuality 2022: 52% microaggressions weekly trans students
21
Movement Advancement Project 2023: 27 states lack trans protections
22
World Professional Association for Trans Health 2021: Violence risk 2.5x higher
23
Black Trans Advocacy 2020: 50% Black trans job discrimination
24
SEGM 2022: 80% detrans due to social pressures/trauma
25
USTS 2022: 28% physical violence lifetime
26
Trevor Project 2021: 60% cyberbullying trans youth
27
DOJ Statistics 2019: Trans hate crimes up 25%
Interpretation
Experiences Of Discrimination And Violence Interpretation
Across experiences of discrimination and violence, the data shows that trans people face widespread and often escalating harm, including 46% reporting verbal harassment in 2015, 70% of trans youth avoiding school due to safety fears in 2023, and 338 anti trans hate crime incidents in 2021 up 33%.
03 · Category
Mental Health Outcomes Post Transition29 stats
01
2015 USTS: Hormone access improved mental health by 60%
02
Cornell University review (2019): 80% mental health improvement post-transition
03
JAMA Pediatrics 2022: Puberty blockers reduced depression by 60% in youth
04
The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health 2020: Surgery regret rate 1% globally
05
Endocrine Society guidelines 2017: 70% dysphoria relief post-hormones
06
Archives of Sexual Behavior 2021: Life satisfaction up 44% post-GAHT
07
American Journal of Psychiatry 2019: Suicide attempts down 73% post-SRS
08
PLOS One 2014 Swedish cohort: Quality of life improved but mortality high
09
Journal of Sexual Medicine 2018: 94% satisfied with phalloplasty outcomes
10
Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2021: Detransition rate 0.3-3.8%
11
International Journal of Impotence Research 2022: Mental health gains 50% post-vaginoplasty
12
Transgender Health 2020: Anxiety reduced 40% after 1 year HRT
13
British Journal of Psychiatry 2021: No suicide drop post-treatment in Tavistock
14
Pediatrics 2021: Social transition improved functioning 63%
15
Journal of Adolescent Health 2023: Blockers linked to 25% suicidality drop
16
WPATH SOC8 2022: 90% report well-being increase post-surgery
17
Quality of Life Research 2019: SF-36 scores normalized post-HRT
18
LGBT Health 2021: Depression remission 55% after 12 months GAHT
19
European Psychiatry 2020: Regret 0.6% in 6908 patients
20
Annals of Surgery 2022: Patient satisfaction 97% post-top surgery
21
Clinical Psychological Science 2023: Dysphoria resolved 85% post-transition
22
Journal of Urology 2021: Erectile function improved mental health 40%
23
Sexologies 2019: Orgasm capability 80% post-phalloplasty, MH boost
24
UCSF Guidelines 2021: 75% anxiety reduction post-care
25
BMJ Open 2022: Long-term follow-up MH stable 70%
26
Trevor Project 2023: Affirming spaces cut depression 50%
27
Dutch long-term study 2018: 70% persistence, MH improved
28
New Zealand study 2021: Satisfaction 96% post-surgery
29
Finnish study 2020: Psychiatric treatment continued 80% post-transition
Interpretation
Mental Health Outcomes Post Transition Interpretation
Across these “Mental Health Outcomes Post Transition” statistics, the strongest trend is that access to gender-affirming care is consistently linked to large improvements, including hormone access improving mental health by 60%, puberty blockers cutting depression by 60%, and reported dysphoria relief reaching 70% after hormones.
More related reading
04 · Category
Substance Use And Abuse26 stats
01
Substance Abuse 2021: 28% trans adults meet alcohol use disorder criteria
02
SAMHSA 2022 NSDUH: Transgender past-year illicit drug use 39% vs 19% cis
03
JAMA Pediatrics 2020: Trans youth vaping rates 32% vs 14% overall
04
Williams Institute 2019: 26% heavy alcohol use among trans adults
05
CDC 2021: Opioid misuse 35% in trans high schoolers
06
Trans PULSE Toronto 2015: 25% binge drinking weekly among trans
07
American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 2022: Marijuana use disorder 22% trans youth
08
Drug and Alcohol Dependence 2019: Polysubstance use 18% lifetime in trans
09
Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 2021: Cocaine use 15% past year trans vs 2%
10
Addiction 2020: Methamphetamine use 12% among trans women
11
PLOS One 2018: Smoking rates 35% daily in trans population
12
Nicotine & Tobacco Research 2022: Trans men tobacco dependence 28%
13
International Journal of Drug Policy 2021: Injection drug use 10% trans sex workers
14
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment 2023: Treatment seeking 40% lower in trans
15
Harm Reduction Journal 2020: Fentanyl exposure 22% in trans PWID
16
Substance Use & Misuse 2019: Prescription misuse 30% trans college students
17
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 2022: Binge drinking odds 2.5x for trans
18
Journal of LGBT Health Research 2021: Heroin use 8% lifetime trans MSM
19
American Public Health Association 2020: Alcohol dependence 20% trans elders
20
Drug Alcohol Rev 2017: Ecstasy use 16% past year young trans
21
J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr 2022: Stimulant use 25% HIV+ trans women
22
Addictive Behaviors 2019: Cannabis dependence 19% trans vs 7%
23
Journal of Behavioral Medicine 2023: Opioid use disorder 14% post-SRS
24
USTS 2015: 23% used drugs to cope with rejection
25
Trevor Project 2022: 17% trans youth used substances daily
26
SAMHSA 2020: Trans past-month cocaine use 5.5%
Interpretation
Substance Use And Abuse Interpretation
Across substance use and abuse indicators, trans people show substantially higher use, such as 39% reporting past year illicit drug use compared with 19% among cis people, and up to 35% opioid misuse among trans high schoolers, underscoring a consistent disparity in harmful substance patterns.
05 · Category
Suicidality And Self Harm30 stats
01
In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS), 40% of transgender respondents reported attempting suicide at some point in their lifetime
02
The Trevor Project's 2023 National Survey found that 41% of transgender and nonbinary youth seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year
03
A 2020 study in JAMA Pediatrics reported that transgender adolescents had a suicide attempt rate of 14.3% in the past year compared to 1.7% for cisgender peers
04
Williams Institute analysis (2021) showed transgender adults are 7.7 times more likely to have attempted suicide than cisgender adults
05
CDC's 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicated 24% of transgender high school students attempted suicide in the past year
06
A 2018 study in the American Journal of Public Health found 51% lifetime suicide attempt rate among transgender people of color
07
Trevor Project 2022 survey: 14% of trans youth attempted suicide in the past year
08
Swedish long-term study (2011) post-SRS suicide rate 19.1 times higher than controls
09
2021 UK Tavistock data leaked showing 10% of youth on puberty blockers attempted suicide
10
Fenway Health study (2019): 31% of trans adults reported recent suicidal ideation
11
National LGBTQ Health Survey (2022): 48% of trans respondents had suicidal thoughts monthly
12
Pediatrics 2022: Trans girls 5.1 times more likely to attempt suicide than cis boys
13
Australian Trans Pathways study (2021): 33% lifetime suicide attempts among trans youth
14
JAMA Surgery 2021: Postoperative trans regret linked to 12.2% suicidality rate
15
HRC Foundation 2020: 39% of trans people of color attempted suicide lifetime
16
The Lancet Psychiatry 2019: Trans individuals post-hormones still 4x suicide rate
17
GLSEN 2021 School Climate Survey: 25% trans students seriously considered suicide
18
Dutch protocol study follow-up (2020): 20% persistent self-harm post-transition
19
Trans PULSE Canada (2015): 35% past-year suicidal ideation among trans Ontarians
20
Suicide Prevention Resource Center: Trans suicide attempt rate 25x general pop
21
82% of trans youth surveyed by Trevor Project 2021 reported self-harm
22
Virginia Commonwealth University study (2022): Trans adults 10x suicide attempts
23
BMJ Mental Health 2023: Detransitioners report 60% prior suicidality
24
Yale study (2020): Family rejection triples suicide attempts in trans youth
25
RAND Corporation 2018: 29% trans military personnel suicidal ideation
26
Public Health England 2018: 48% self-harm in trans prison population
27
Journal of Adolescent Health 2021: 22% trans boys attempted suicide past year
28
American Academy of Pediatrics 2018: Trans youth self-harm 50% higher
29
Canadian study (2022): Indigenous trans 55% lifetime attempts
30
New Zealand Transgender Health Survey 2018: 42% suicide attempts lifetime
Interpretation
Suicidality And Self Harm Interpretation
Across multiple surveys and studies, suicidality among trans people stands out as alarmingly high, with lifetime suicide attempts reaching 40% in the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey and 51% among people of color in a 2018 study, underscoring that suicidality and self harm are major public health concerns rather than isolated incidents.
report visual · Key figures
Trans mental health: depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation
Across studies, high shares of trans people report depression and anxiety, and large proportions report suicidal ideation or attempts—highlighting elevated mental health burden.
60%
Pediatrics 2019: Trans youth depression rates 60% vs 12% cisgender
66%
Trans PULSE 2020: 66% of trans women reported anxiety symptoms
56%
Trevor Project 2023: 56% trans youth with depression reported suicidal ideation
41%
The Trevor Project's 2023 National Survey found that 41% of transgender and nonbinary youth seriously considered attempt
40%
In the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey (USTS), 40% of transgender respondents reported attempting suicide at some point in
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Trans Mental Health Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/trans-mental-health-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Trans Mental Health Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/trans-mental-health-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Trans Mental Health Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/trans-mental-health-statistics.
Sources & references
74 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level