A population-level study out of Denmark found that people who identify as transgender have significantly higher rates of suicide and suicide attempts than the rest of the population. The study, published last week, found that transgender people had 7.7 times the rate of suicide attempts and 3.5 times the rate of suicide deaths than the larger Danish population.
Rhonda Schwindt is an associate professor of nursing at the George Washington University as well as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner with extensive clinical experience in working with the LGBTQIA+ community. Schwindt leads efforts to prepare future nurse practitioners in providing affirming mental health care to transgender and gender-expansive patients.
Schwindt can discuss the external factors that she says impacts mental health and contributes to concerns of increased anxiety, depression and suicide risks among this population.
“What we do know is that there is a disproportionality high rate of suicide attempts and death by suicide in the community. And also, a high prevalence compared to other populations of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety,” Schwindt says. “As a mental health provider, I see that across the board in most of my patients.”
Schwindt can also talk about how important it is for at-risk LGBTQIA+ people to get affirming care in order to effectively treat depression, anxiety and other mental health problems. WATCH: hear more from Schwindt on supporting mental health care for the LGBTQIA+ community in this video.
If you would like to speak with Prof. Schwindt, please contact GW Media Relations Specialist Cate Douglass at [email protected].
-GW-
