Prevalence of Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors in Transgender Individuals With Eating Disorders: A National Study

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined prevalence of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (SITBs) in transgender individuals with eating disorders, as compared to cisgender individuals with eating disorders and transgender individuals without eating disorders.

Methods: Data were analyzed from 365,749 individuals (median age 21 years, 71.8% White/Caucasian, 34.9% male, 64.9% female, and 0.2% transgender) who participated in American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment, an annual national assessment of college student health, from 2008 to 2011.

Results: Rates of past-year nonsuicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts were elevated in transgender participants with eating disorders (74.8%, 75.2%, and 74.8%, respectively), as compared to cisgender participants with eating disorders and transgender participants without eating disorders. Follow-up logistic regression analyses indicated these differences were statistically significant above and beyond the effects of demographic variables and depression.

Conclusions: Results found extremely high rates of SITBs in transgender individuals with eating disorders. This combination of identities, each associated with SITBs, may have a compounding effect.

Keywords: College student; Eating disorder; Gender identity; Non-suicidal self-injury; Suicidal ideation; Suicide; Suicide attempt; Transgender.