Order amid chaos: Findings from a modified meta-analysis on variation in estimates of transgender suicidality

Estimates of suicidal ideation and attempts (suicidality), among transgender adults, vary widely, with attempts ranging from 3% to 63% and ideation ranging from 4% to 89%. Despite this, the literature is largely silent on the cause of this phenomenon, or its impact on the accuracy of transgender suicidality statistics, prevention endeavours, and policy reform.

My study addresses this knowledge gap, through a meta-analysis that incorporates original data collection. The meta-analysis includes transgender suicidality research, published in North America, since 1997 and original data is collected from interviews with the first, or second, authors of this research. The interviews are analyzed using aspects of grounded theory and lead to the selection of five variables thought to have an impact on transgender suicidality rates. The effect of these variables is then measured against the suicidality rate in the 20 studies that measured it 'ever', rather than over a specific period (e.g. past year).  

This analysis has resulted in more specific suicidality rates, descriptive statistics on the demographics of transgender suicidality research, and guidelines for managing the impact of five variables on transgender suicidality research. The first three variables (ethnicity, education, and gender identification and sex at birth) reveal the impact of demographics on transgender suicidality, while the last two (suicidality questions asked and inclusion criteria) demonstrate the impact of researcher's choices on both their study's demographics and suicidality rate. These findings have implications for the reliability of future transgender suicidality research, suicidality prevention efforts, legislative activism, and public health policy.