There seems to be something incongruous in the gender dysphoria suicide risk as it relates to the realities of childhood suicides in Australia:
Australia’s ‘Children’s Research Institute’ website estimates that approximately 1.2% of Australian school children (approx. 45,000) identify as trans. I have searched extensively for statistics on the number of Australian childhood suicides associated with gender dysphoria but cannot find a single reference.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics quotes the age-specific death rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child suicide is 8.3 deaths per 100,000, translating as approximately 4 per 45,000.
It is interesting to note there is a highly publicised group said to be at great risk of suicide (with either few or no documented cases) undergoing an experimental, irreversible, sterilising and mutilating procedures to address mental health challenges. Meanwhile, it seems there is little public awareness being raised of another group of children with well documented horrific rates of suicide..
If childhood suicide prevention is the primary concern then they’ve picked the wrong cohort!
Another great article that is well researched but watch the smoke and mirrors as the mainstream media jumps up and down and points at Westmead following the 4 corners segment containing zero coherent evidence and ignores the actual story with actual evidence. Well done Bernard - great article!
• Another long term study from Sweden also found that gender-dysphoric individuals who received hormones and/or surgery did not have lower rates of serious suicide attempts compared to gender-dysphoric individuals who received no medical transition services. In fact, the data for the post-surgical gender-dysphoric individuals suggest a doubling of serious suicide attempts when compared to the gender-dysphoric individuals who did not obtain surgery.
• These observations suggest that not only is the suicide narrative, frequent to justify medically transitioning minors, is greatly exaggerated, but that medical gender transition is not an effective suicide-prevention measure. The results also suggest that treatment should focus on better control of co-occurring psychiatric illness and on evidence-based suicide-prevention measures in particular for individuals deemed at high risk for suicide.
• Nearly half (43%) of trans-identified individuals had at least one psychiatric illness in addition to gender dysphoria, compared with 7% of the general population. This finding deserves careful consideration as psychiatric illness is a key contributor to suicide
There seems to be something incongruous in the gender dysphoria suicide risk as it relates to the realities of childhood suicides in Australia:
Australia’s ‘Children’s Research Institute’ website estimates that approximately 1.2% of Australian school children (approx. 45,000) identify as trans. I have searched extensively for statistics on the number of Australian childhood suicides associated with gender dysphoria but cannot find a single reference.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics quotes the age-specific death rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child suicide is 8.3 deaths per 100,000, translating as approximately 4 per 45,000.
It is interesting to note there is a highly publicised group said to be at great risk of suicide (with either few or no documented cases) undergoing an experimental, irreversible, sterilising and mutilating procedures to address mental health challenges. Meanwhile, it seems there is little public awareness being raised of another group of children with well documented horrific rates of suicide..
If childhood suicide prevention is the primary concern then they’ve picked the wrong cohort!
But still we persist in following the flawed RCH guidelines in Australia.
Multiple reviews have debunked the main evidence base( the Dutch studies)
When is the RACP going to admit its mistake in endorsing the RCH guidelines?
How many more children are going to be harmed in this country before we come to our senses?
Another great article that is well researched but watch the smoke and mirrors as the mainstream media jumps up and down and points at Westmead following the 4 corners segment containing zero coherent evidence and ignores the actual story with actual evidence. Well done Bernard - great article!
Pleading tolerance, I submit another comment: An interesting article in JAMA titled:
Transgender Identity and Suicide Attempts and Mortality in Denmark
JAMA. 2023;329(24):2145-2153. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.8627
A few of the salient points contained therein:
• Another long term study from Sweden also found that gender-dysphoric individuals who received hormones and/or surgery did not have lower rates of serious suicide attempts compared to gender-dysphoric individuals who received no medical transition services. In fact, the data for the post-surgical gender-dysphoric individuals suggest a doubling of serious suicide attempts when compared to the gender-dysphoric individuals who did not obtain surgery.
• These observations suggest that not only is the suicide narrative, frequent to justify medically transitioning minors, is greatly exaggerated, but that medical gender transition is not an effective suicide-prevention measure. The results also suggest that treatment should focus on better control of co-occurring psychiatric illness and on evidence-based suicide-prevention measures in particular for individuals deemed at high risk for suicide.
• Nearly half (43%) of trans-identified individuals had at least one psychiatric illness in addition to gender dysphoria, compared with 7% of the general population. This finding deserves careful consideration as psychiatric illness is a key contributor to suicide