One in six transgender people have long-term mental health problems, new research shows.
In the first study of its kind, those who identified as transgender were significantly more likely to experience health problems such as depression and anxiety than the rest of the population.
Researchers from the University of Manchester analyzed GP survey data from 1.5 million patients, including 8,000 who identified as transgender.
They found that 1 in 6 transgender men and women reported mental health problems, compared to 1 in 10 other men and women.
A lack of NHS gender services and difficulties communicating with healthcare staff were blamed for some of the mental health problems.
Researchers from the University of Manchester analyzed GP survey data from 1.5 million patients, including 8,000 who identified as transgender. They found that 1 in 6 transgender men and women reported mental health problems, compared to 1 in 10 other men and women
Figures released by University College London in November show the number of newly registered transgender identities between 2000 and 2018, by age group. In 2000, there were 1.45 new cases of transgender identification per 100,000 person-years. But this figure increased fivefold to 7.81 cases per 100,000 in 2018
But campaigners say the findings are based on ‘ideologies’ rather than biological facts and should never have been made with public money.
They suggest it has “unreliable numbers at its core” from a survey involving gender questions that likely confused some participants.
Researchers used data from the 2021 and 2022 English GP Patient Survey, which introduced more answer choices to gender identity questions in 2021.
People were asked how they identified their gender: female, male, non-binary, prefer to describe themselves and prefer not to say.
They were also asked how their gender identity compares to their sex registered at birth, whether they are cisgender, transgender or whether they prefer not to say.
They were also asked whether they had a mental health condition and whether they felt the health care professional recognized or understood any mental health needs they had.
About 16.4 percent of people who identified as transgender men and 15.9 percent who identified as transgender women reported having a mental health problem, although they were not asked for details.
This compared to 8.8 and 12 percent of cisgender – those who identify as the same gender they were born with – men and women respectively, according to the findings published in Lancet Public Health.
Dr. Ruth Watkinson, from the University of Manchester, said: ‘Poor communication from healthcare professionals and inadequate relationships between staff and patients may explain why trans, non-binary and gender diverse patients were more likely to report that their mental health needs were not being met. recent appointments in the general practice.
‘Changes are urgently needed to ensure that the NHS becomes a more supportive service for transgender, non-binary and gender diverse patients, including better recording of gender in healthcare registration systems and staff training to ensure that healthcare professionals in healthcare to meet the mental health needs of all patients. , regardless of their gender.’
But Sex Matters, a human rights organization that campaigns for clarity about sex in the law and everyday life, questioned the terminology used in the paper, which was based on recommendations from controversial trans lobby group Stonewall.
Maya Forstater, executive director, said: “It is ridiculous that a publicly funded public health study should be based on unreliable data on sex and steeped in ideological language.
‘The data at the heart of this research comes from a survey that asked the same problematic gender identity question as the 2021 census, which is currently under review by the national statistics regulator.
‘The gender identity question in the census was widely misunderstood, and many people were incorrectly classified as transgender.
‘The results suggested that 1 in 67 Muslims are transgender and that there are more transgender people in Newham than in Brighton.
‘This study therefore contains unreliable figures and cannot be used to draw conclusions about complex mental health needs.
“The paper also uses the term ‘cisgender’ 74 times, suggesting that ideology takes precedence over biological facts.”
The research was funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and was carried out in collaboration with staff from The Proud Trust and LGBT Foundation.
An NHS spokesperson said: ‘Mental health is one of the top five priority areas for the NHS in its efforts to reduce healthcare inequalities, while health services have opened five new Adult Gender Dysphoria Clinics in England since 2020 to reduce waiting times to shorten.’