Dialectical Behavior Therapy Bulletin 2025

“Approximately 40-42% of transgender and gender diverse people report a lifetime suicide attempt, as compared to 4.6% of the general U.S. population. with the highest rates amongst young adults aged 18 to 24. These disparities in mental health have been attributed to the traumatic invalidation that TGD individuals face, including interpersonal transphobia (e.g., discrimination occurring within social interactions, including misgendering) and internalized transphobia (e.g., experiencing shame or distress related to one’s transgender identity.

Structural transphobia has particularly been linked with heightened mental health problems and suicidality and, concerningly, is rising with recent regressive political trends focused on rolling back protections for TGD people. For example, recent executive orders have mandated that all federal agencies recognize only “two sexes, male and female”, prohibited transgender people from enlisting in the military, and restricted female transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.

Most alarmingly, recent actions have threatened federal funding for clinics and hospitals that offer gender affirming care.”

— from “DBT was Built for Crisis – Transgender and Gender Diverse People Are in One”