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Rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviours are elevated among transgender and non-binary individuals. However, studies directed at understanding suicide risk among transgender and non-binary people are scarce which potentially limits the development of empirically informed suicide prevention strategies for transgender and non-binary people. Previous research has demonstrated that childhood maltreatment, gender minority stress, and non-suicidal self-injury are reliable correlates of suicidal thoughts and behaviours but findings within transgender and non-binary samples are limited. The goal of this study is to test a multiple mediation model that will examine whether a hypothesized direct effect of childhood maltreatment on more frequent suicidal ideation is mediated by increased non-suicidal self-injury behaviour and more severe gender minority stress. Conducting this research will extend preliminary research showing that these variables are concurrently associated. These results have implications for integrating leading gender minority stress models with suicide theory. More broadly, improved understanding of the progression of suicidal ideation among transgender and non-binary people may inform more tailored prevention.

This study represents the primary analysis of the project entitled Trajectories and Predictors of Women’s Postpartum Genito-pelvic Pain and Sexual Well-being, conducted by Natalie Rosen (Dalhousie University) in 2014-2020. Women pregnant with their first child (N = 649) were recruited from the IWK Health Centre (Halifax, NS) at their 20-week ultrasound appointment to participate in a longitudinal study that included completing questionnaires at 6 time-points: mid-pregnancy (18-24 weeks), third trimester (32-36 weeks), 3-, 6-, 12- and 24-months postpartum. Data on labor and delivery were obtained by chart review. Data have been collected for this study in full.