Changes in Suicidality among Transgender Adolescents Following Hormone Therapy: An Extended Study.

Abstract

To examine changes in suicidality following hormone therapy (HT) among transgender and gender-diverse adolescents and young adults. A retrospective chart review was conducted at a multidisciplinary gender health clinic with 432 patients (mean follow-up = 679 days) completing the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions before and after treatment initiation. A repeated-measures ANCOVA assessed within-person changes in suicidality over time, adjusting for age at treatment and treatment duration. Suicidality significantly declined from pretreatment to post-treatment (F[1, 426] = 34.63, P < .001, partial η² = 0.075). This effect was consistent across sex assigned at birth, age at start of therapy, and treatment duration. HT was associated with clinically meaningful reductions in suicidality over time, extending prior findings with a larger sample and longer follow-up. These study findings provide clinical evidence supporting the mental health benefits of timely access to HT in this population.