A Qualitative Inquiry of Associations Between Family Environment and Suicidality for Transgender Youth Experiencing Homelessness

Abstract

Correlational research finds that transgender youth who have been homeless are more likely to have attempted suicide; however, there is not yet research explaining why this correlation might exist. To understand connections between housing insecurity and suicidality for transgender people the present study analyzed in-depth interviews with 30 transgender young people (ages 15–25) in the United States who had experienced homelessness. Interviews took place in LGBTQ community centers, and were analyzed for inductive themes using Qualitative Content Analysis. In contrast with theories suggesting that homelessness predicts increased suicidality because of the stressors of homelessness, this study found that gender-based parental rejection and other dysfunctional family dynamics interacted to create a hostile environment that contributed to both suicidality and homelessness for trans participants. In fact, suicide attempts occurred most often while participants still lived in disaffirming homes and usually ceased after participants left the unsafe home, suggesting that leaving a disaffirming family home, even if it results in homelessness, may decrease suicidality for some youth. Findings suggest that service providers working with transgender youth experiencing homelessness must consider familial gender disaffirmation, other familial stressors, and lack of access to shelter as equal threats to trans youth’s wellbeing and design interventions accordingly.