Co-occurring mental health issues, rather than gender dysphoria, are the primary predictors of both all-cause and suicide-related mortality in adolescents seeking gender-related care
A 2024 study by Ruuska et al.1, which analyzed data from 2,083 adolescents referred to gender identity clinics and 16,643 matched controls, reported higher initial mortality rates among referred adolescents (0.81 per 1000 person-years) compared to controls (0.40 per 1000 person-years). The suicide rates were also higher among the referred group (0.51 per 1000 person-years versus 0.12 per 1000 person-years). However, after controlling for history of psychiatric treatment, these differences in mortality rates between the two groups were not statistically significant, with hazard ratios normalizing at 1.0 for all-cause mortality and 1.8 for suicide mortality.