Thread by @LiamDel

For TDoV I'd like to highlight the mental health statistics of transmasculine people. I don't wish to invite comparison between trans men and trans women, and the stats I look at also separate nonbinary people and those with intersex variations (as well as cis gay/bi people).

I'm not going to speak on experiences I don't know, so I'm focusing on trans men. The numbers are bleak, so please don't read on if you're not up to it.
TW: depression, anxiety, sui*, sexism/misogyny
lgbtihealth.org.au/statistics/
Keep in mind, stats are predominantly from Australia

"Rates of psychological distress for Gay men, Lesbian women, Bisexual men, Bisexual women and Trans women declined with age. Rates for psychological distress among Trans men were consistently high across all age groups."
Trans men's mental health doesn't improve with time/age.

So what ARE those numbers?
"40.5% of Trans men aged 18 and over and report current thoughts about suicide or self-harm in the last 2 weeks"
At any given moment, 2 out of 5 adult trans men may be suicidal. The general cis population is 3.44% in the last 12 months.

"62.1% of Trans men aged 18 and over have been diagnosed with depression in their lifetime"
General cis population is 11.6%. Keep in mind, trans men have this high number across all age groups, suggesting an affected trans man individual may be depressed for life.

"42.6% of Trans men aged 16 and over reported being diagnosed or treated for anxiety in the last 3 years"
Gen cis pop is 26.3% over a lifetime.
My large local tguy support group did a survey once, they asked what barriers people had to accessing the group.
#1 by far: Anxiety

"Trans men average a K10 score of 23.2 indicating high levels of psychological distress"
The K10 is what Aus Drs use to measure your general mental health. 90% of the general pop are low to moderate levels, the total averaging a score of 14.5.
No improvement with age in trans men

So why doesn't our mental health improve? No stats on that, so the following is my personal thoughts.
We've only recently had access to lower surgery in Aus for trans men, but it is still prohibitively expensive. Trans men are using their superannuation on top surgery already.

I believe that anyone who is, has, or ever will be perceived as a woman by society experiences misogyny and sexism - the effects of this don't just disappear for trans men. Much of society sees us as strange or warped women, and we experience very high rates of sexual abuse.

We also face erasure and are invisibilised by not just greater society, but by the LGBTIQ communities we're a part of - people think we are equal to cis men, and negate our ongoing trauma, abuse and lived experiences. We have our own complex intersections like any other minority.

I know so many tguys who are actively rooting out toxic masculinity in our community, who uplift other trans men out of depression, who educate and use their time and energy for nothing but good - and all of these lovely people have depression of their own.
I want them 'visible'.