ABSTRACT
Background: Self-harm (any self-injury or -poisoning regardless of intent) is highly prevalent in transgender and gender diverse (TGD) populations. It is strongly associated with various adverse health and wellbeing outcomes, including suicide. Despite increased risk, TGD individuals' unique self-harm pathways are not well understood. Following PRISMA guidelines we conducted the first systematic review of risk and protective factors for self-harm in TGD people to identify targets for prevention and intervention. Methods: We searched five electronic databases (PubMed, PsychInfo, Scopus, MEDLINE, and Web of Science) published from database inception to November 2023 for primary and secondary studies of risk and/or protective factors for self-harm thoughts and behaviours in TGD people. Data was extracted and study quality assessed using Newcastle-Ottawa Scales. Findings: Overall, 78 studies published between 2007 and 2023 from 16 countries (N = 322,144) were eligible for inclusion. Narrative analysis identified six key risk factors for self-harm in TGD people (aged 7-98years) were identified. These are younger age, being assigned female at birth, illicit drug and alcohol use, sexual and physical assault, gender minority stressors (especially discrimination and victimisation), and depression or depressive symptomology. Three important protective factors were identified: social support, connectedness, and school safety. Other possible unique TGD protective factors against self-harm included: chosen name use, gender-identity concordant documentation, and protective state policies. Some evidence of publication bias regarding sample size, non-responders, and confounding variables was identified. Interpretation: This systematic review indicates TGD people may experience a unique self-harm pathway. Importantly, the risk and protective factors we identified provide meaningful targets for intervention. TGD youth and those assigned female at birth are at increased risk. Encouraging TGD people to utilise and foster existing support networks, family/parent and peer support groups, and creating safe, supportive school environments may be critical for self-harm and suicide prevention strategies. Efforts to reduce drug and alcohol use and experiences of gender-based victimisation and discrimination are recommended to reduce self-harm in this high-risk group. Addressing depressive symptoms may reduce gender dysphoria and self-harm. The new evidence presented in this systematic review also indicates TGD people may experience unique pathways to self-harm related to the lack of social acceptance of their gender identity. However, robust longitudinal research which examines gender-specific factors is now necessary to establish this pathway.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Concerns have been raised about the utility of self-report assessments in predicting future suicide attempts. Clinicians in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) often are required to assess suicidal risk. The Death Implicit Association Test (IAT) is an alternative to self-report assessment of suicidal risk that may have utility in ED settings. METHODS: A total of 1679 adolescents recruited from 13 pediatric emergency rooms in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network were assessed using a self-report survey of risk and protective factors for a suicide attempt, and the IAT, and then followed up 3 months later to determine if an attempt had occurred. The accuracy of prediction was compared between self-reports and the IAT using the area under the curve (AUC) with respect to receiver operator characteristics. RESULTS: A few self-report variables, namely, current and past suicide ideation, past suicidal behavior, total negative life events, and school or social connectedness, predicted an attempt at 3 months with an AUC of 0.87 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.84-0.90] in the entire sample, and AUC = 0.91, (95% CI 0.85-0.95) for those who presented without reported suicidal ideation. The IAT did not add significantly to the predictive power of selected self-report variables. The IAT alone was modestly predictive of 3-month attempts in the overall sample ((AUC = 0.59, 95% CI 0.52-0.65) and was a better predictor in patients who were non-suicidal at baseline (AUC = 0.67, 95% CI 0.55-0.79). CONCLUSIONS: In pediatric EDs, a small set of self-reported items predicted suicide attempts within 3 months more accurately than did the IAT.
