Sistergirls, brotherboys and trans and gender diverse mob: A cross-sectional study of mental health, social determinants and service access

Purpose Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trans and gender diverse people (gender diverse mob) are included in some health and wellbeing research; however, they are often a small group within a larger sample of cisgender lesbian, gay and bisexual people. This study addresses this gap by examining gender diverse mob's mental health, social determinants of health and access to healthcare services. Methods This cross-sectional study used data collected in May 2024 for the TRANSform survey. It calculated the number and proportion of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander gender diverse participants by mental health, social determinants and healthcare access. Main findings Overall, 33 (4.1%) of the sample were gender diverse mob. Most participants (87.9%) were under the age of 55 years and 63.6 per cent were living in an urban area. Many respondents had completed tertiary education (46.1% had a tertiary level education) but low levels of employment (56.3% had employment). In the previous 12 months, 66.7 per cent experienced food insecurity and 69.7 per cent experienced housing insecurity. Most experienced trans-related discrimination from a healthcare professional (78.8%) and 54.5 per cent delayed accessing healthcare in the previous 12 months due to anticipated discrimination from healthcare providers. Many respondents experienced mental health distress, 69.7 per cent had clinical symptoms of anxiety and 69.7 per cent had clinical symptoms of depression. In the previous 12 months, 36.4 per cent had hurt themselves on purpose, 39.4 per cent had seriously considered attempting suicide and 6.1 per cent had attempted suicide. Over half (60.6%) had attempted suicide during their lifetime. Principal conclusions Many gender diverse mob have completed tertiary education, positive workplace experiences and positive connections online. However, the gender diverse mob in this study experienced high levels of mental health distress, food insecurity, suicidality, self-harm, unemployment and healthcare discrimination.