Which life experiences raise suicide risk in transgender and gender-diverse teens
Psychosocial Predictors of Risk for Suicidal Behavior Among Gender Minority Adolescents
Researchers will follow transgender and gender-diverse teens and a group of their peers for 12 months to see which bullying, family support, transition-related experiences, and discrimination link to suicidal thoughts or attempts.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11161168 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You'll be invited to join a nationwide group of teens (about 12–20 years old) who complete surveys over a year about stress, bullying, family support, gender transition steps, and discrimination. The study enrolls both gender minority teens and a comparison group of non–gender minority peers to track differences over time. Researchers will use repeated questionnaires to connect changes in these experiences with suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The team aims to identify specific risk and protective factors so supports can be better targeted.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are teens aged about 12–20 who identify as transgender, nonbinary, or otherwise gender-diverse, with a parallel group of cisgender teens included for comparison.
Not a fit: Children under 12, adults, or people whose concerns do not involve gender identity or suicidal thoughts are not the target population and are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help families, schools, and clinicians target supports and interventions to reduce suicidal thoughts and attempts among transgender and gender-diverse teens.
How similar studies have performed: Smaller and cross-sectional studies have linked bullying, low parental support, and discrimination to suicidal thoughts in gender minority youth, but large nationwide longitudinal studies like this are rare.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thoma, Brian — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Thoma, Brian
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.