Transgender and nonbinary children and youth often face significant challenges compared to their cisgender peers. Many experience peer victimization, and trans teens also face verbal harassment in many Canadian schools. These adverse experiences also extend into the home, where trans and nonbinary youth may face emotional neglect or abuse by a parent or other adult.

These experiences cause significant harm, and they also place trans and nonbinary youth at risk for secondary mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety.

Knowing how many transgender and nonbinary youth are dealing with these disorders is critical to inform prevention and treatment efforts. A recent report by the Children’s Health Policy Centre, funded by the BC Ministry of Health, investigated the prevalence of mental health concerns for trans and nonbinary young people.

The report identified:

• The overall prevalence of mental disorders in transgender and nonbinary youth, which is 56.6% This makes it between 5.9 and 13 times higher than their cisgender counterparts.
• Significant rates of self harm or suicidal ideation among transgender and nonbinary youth, with prevalence up to five times higher than in their cisgender peers.
• A need for easily accessible and effective mental health treatments for these children and youth.
• The importance of addressing the unacceptable and preventable adverse experiences that many transgender and nonbinary young people face and that can contribute to the development of mental health conditions.

These findings can inform efforts to improve mental health service planning, delivery and equity for transgender and nonbinary children and youth in British Columbia.

To learn more, read the report and review the findings.