People who identify as “gender diverse” need acceptance and love, said Bishop Daniel Meagher, in response to new research showing they are dramatically more likely to have suffered abuse and neglect.
The study found Australians who identify as having a “diverse gender” are up to 17 times more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder and up to 52 times more likely to have engaged in self-harm over the last year than the rest of the population.
The study also found that the cohort, representing an estimated 196,000 Australians, are 16 times more likely to have attempted suicide in the previous 12 months.
The research was supported by the Australian Catholic University and led by Curtin University, and was published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
It recommended trauma-informed approaches to health care treatment for adults with diverse gender identities, and social programs to “reduce stigmatising attitudes and behaviours among the wider community.”
Bishop Meagher has worked among Sydney’s marginalised communities and said he had been aware of similar findings “for some time.”
“Clearly, gender diverse people have many challenges to face in life. Community acceptance is undoubtedly one,” he said.
“I hope we can find room in our hearts for compassion, respect and love. We are all children of God, hoping to find happiness and meaning in our lives.”
The new research draws on a landmark national survey of 8,503 people aged 16-65 measuring child abuse and neglect led by the Australian Catholic University last year.
It examined rates of four mental health disorders and five health risk behaviours in people with diverse gender identities, and their associations with five types of child maltreatment.
It found that individuals who identified as transgender, gender fluid, non-binary, or in other ways not aligned with their biological sex at birth had significantly higher prevalence of any mental disorder (52.7 per cent of the “diverse gender” group) compared with men (38 per cent) and women (37.7 per cent).
The majority, 90 out of the 126 people who identified as gender diverse, were aged 16-24.
An earlier study found those who experienced childhood sexual and emotional abuse were substantially more likely to have poor mental health.
But the latest study found the relationship is stronger for those who have a diverse gender identity.
Sexual and emotional abuse were also most strongly associated with PTSD, anxiety, cannabis dependence, self-harm, and attempted suicide.
Four out of every five people with diverse gender identities (81 per cent) have experienced child abuse or neglect.
“The very high prevalence of child maltreatment among people with diverse gender identities may partially explain the higher prevalence of mental disorders and health risk behaviours in this group,” the authors wrote.
“These adversities exist within a wider cluster of difficulties in the lives of gender diverse people, including bullying, transphobia, stigma, and discrimination.
“As almost all the individuals with diverse gender identities in the ACMS [survey] had experienced child maltreatment, we were limited in our ability to disentangle the individual effects of child maltreatment and diverse gender identity on mental disorders and health risk behaviours.
“Nevertheless, the study results clearly show that mental disorders and health risk behaviours are common in people with diverse gender identities, most of whom have experienced child maltreatment, indicating that there are likely to be multiple factors needing to be addressed by clinicians supporting gender diverse people.”
Director of the ACU’s Institute of Child Protection Studies, Professor Daryl Higgins, contributed to the report.
He said while girls have a greater risk than boys of experiencing child maltreatment, the risk is higher again for gender diverse people, although the survey did not ask at what age their non-binary identification emerged.
“It needs to be recognised that in the fields of mental health care and addressing health risk behaviours there is likely to be a disproportionate number of people who don’t identify as male or female,” he said.
Sue Buckingham, founder and coordinator of David’s Place outreach for the homeless and marginalised based at St Canice’s Church in Elizabeth Bay, said it has supported many transgender people.
While she didn’t know about their childhood experiences, she said they all suffered mental health burdens.
“They come to us for friendship and support and for us it’s a matter of respecting them for who they are,” she said.
Blue Knot
For adult survivors of childhood trauma and abuse, parents, partners, family and friends as well as the professionals who work with them.
Phone:1300 657 380
Email: [email protected];
Website: blueknot.org.au
1800 RESPECT
National domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service.
Phone:1800RESPECT or 1800 737 732;
Website: www.1800RESPECT.org.au
Kids Helpline
Online and phone counselling service for young people aged 5–25.
Phone: 1800 55 1800.
Website: www.kidshelpline.com.au