The suicide disparity among transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth in the United States is occurring in a legislative climate with an unprecedented increase in anti-trans bills, yet limited restrictive firearm laws. The Policy and Health Justice: Collective Resilience/Resistance Against Trans (youth) Exclusion and Suicide model, based on Wesp et al.’s Intersectionality Research for Transgender Health Justice framework, proposes a pathway for how anti-trans bills and firearm laws contribute to TGD youth suicide through structures of domination, institutional systems, and socio-structural processes. The framework suggests targets for resilience and resistance to restructure the flow of power within systems to ameliorate the TGD youth suicide disparity.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. Underlying Cause of Death 2018-2021 by Single Race. Atlanta, GA; 2021. Available from: https://wonder.cdc.gov/wonder/help/ucd-expanded.html# [Last accessed: May5, 2023].
HatchelT, PolaninJR, EspelageDL. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors among LGBTQ youth: Meta-analyses and a systematic review. Arch Suicide Res, 2021; 25(1):1–37; doi: 10.1080/13811118.2019.1663329
9.
ParkIY, SpeerR, WhitfieldDL, et al.Predictors of bullying, depression, and suicide attempts among youth: The intersection of race/ethnicity by gender identity. Child Youth Serv Rev, 2022; 139:106536; doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106536
10.
KiddKM, SequeiraGM, PaglisottiT, et al.“This could mean death for my child”: Parent perspectives on laws banning gender-affirming care for transgender adolescents. J Adolesc Health, 2021; 68(6):1082–1088; doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.09.010
11.
HughesLD, KiddKM, GamarelKE, et al.“These laws will be devastating”: Provider perspectives on legislation banning gender-affirming care for transgender adolescents. J Adolesc Health, 2021; 69(6):976–982; doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.08.020
12.
SchanzleJ, KennedyJ, RahmanF, et al.Anti-trans legislation in the US: Potential implications on self-reported victimization and suicidality among trans youth. J Adolesc Health, 2023; 72(3):S17–S18; doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.11.018
13.
CunninghamGB, WatanabeNM, BuzuvisE. Anti-transgender rights legislation and internet searches pertaining to depression and suicide. PLoS One, 2022; 17(12):e0279420; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279420
14.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-Based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS).Atlanta, GA; 2022.
15.
SwansonSA, EyllonM, SheuY-H, et al.Firearm access and adolescent suicide risk: Toward a clearer understanding of effect size. Inj Prev, 2021; 27(3):264–270; doi: 10.1136/injuryprev-2019-043605
16.
ReamGL. What’s unique about Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) youth and young adult suicides? Findings from the national violent death reporting system. J Adolesc Health, 2019; 64(5):602–607; doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2018.10.303
17.
WespLM, MalcoeLH, ElliottA, et al.Intersectionality research for transgender health justice: A theory-driven conceptual framework for structural analysis of transgender health inequities. Transgend Health, 2019; 4(1):287–296; doi: 10.1089/trgh.2019.0039
18.
HayesM, FortunatoD, HibbingMV. Race–gender bias in White Americans’ preferences for gun availability. J Pub Pol, 2021; 41(4):818–834; doi: 10.1017/S0143814X20000288
19.
YamaneD. The sociology of U.S. gun culture. Sociol Compass, 2017; 11(7):e12497; doi: 10.1111/soc4.12497
20.
ChongLSH, KerklaanJ, ClarkeS, et al.Experiences and perspectives of transgender youths in accessing health care: A systematic review. JAMA Pediatr, 2021; 175(11):1159–1173; doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.2061
21.
ColemanE, RadixAE, BoumanWP, et al.Standards of care for the health of transgender and gender diverse people, version 8. Int J Transgend Health, 2022; 23(Suppl 1):S1–S259; doi: 10.1080/26895269.2022.2100644
22.
YangYT, SudarshanS. Beyond stricter gun control measures: Lessons from the Nashville shooting. J Public Health Manag Pract, 2023; 29(5):609–610; doi: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001775
23.
WilliamsDY, HallWJ, DawesHC, et al.An integrated conceptual model to understand suicidality among queer youth to inform suicide prevention. Societies (Basel), 2022; 12(6):170; doi: 10.3390/soc12060170
24.
MatsunoE, IsraelT. Psychological interventions promoting resilience among transgender individuals: Transgender Resilience Intervention Model (TRIM). Couns Psychol, 2018; 46(5):632–655; doi: 10.1177/0011000018787261
25.
RiderGN, VencillJA, BergDR, et al.The Gender Affirmative Lifespan Approach (GALA): A framework for competent clinical care with nonbinary clients. Int J Transgend, 2019; 20(2–3):275–288; doi: 10.1080/15532739.2018.1485069
26.
SpencerKG, BergDR, BradfordNJ, et al.The gender-affirmative life span approach: A developmental model for clinical work with transgender and gender-diverse children, adolescents, and adults. Psychotherapy (Chic), 2021; 58(1):37–49; doi: 10.1037/pst0000363
27.
TruongNL, ClarkCM, RosenbachS, et al.The GSA Study: Results of National Surveys about Students’ and Advisors’ Experiences in Gender and Sexuality Alliance Clubs. GLSEN: New York, NY; 2021.
28.
SinghAA. Transgender youth of color and resilience: Negotiating oppression and finding support. Sex Roles, 2013; 68(11–12):690–702; doi: 10.1007/s11199-012-0149-z
29.
JacksonSD, HarveyTD, WatsonRJ, et al.Multilevel stigma and depression among a national sample of Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ adolescents in the United States. J Psychopathol Clin Sci, 2023; 132(5):577–589; doi: 10.1037/abn0000841
30.
WadsworthLP, PotluriS, SchreckM, et al.Measurement and impacts of intersectionality on obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms across intensive treatment. Am J Orthopsychiatry, 2020; 90(4):445–457; doi: 10.1037/ort0000447
31.
MathesBM, MorabitoDM, SchmidtNB. Epidemiological and clinical gender differences in OCD. Curr Psychiatry Rep, 2019; 21(5):36; doi: 10.1007/s11920-019-1015-2
32.
CarrollK. Socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and asthma in youth. Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 2013; 188(10):1180–1181; doi: 10.1164/rccm.201310-1768ED
33.
BarnthouseM, JonesBL. The impact of environmental chronic and toxic stress on asthma. Clin Rev Allergy Immunol, 2019; 57(3):427–438; doi: 10.1007/s12016-019-08736-x
34.
ParchemB, Rudo-SternJ, BratlandL, et al.. Firearm access and socio-structural factors related to suicidality among youth with diverse sexual, gender, and racial identities. Archives of Suicide Research, 2024; 1–24; doi: 10.1080/13811118.2024.2347345
