Identifying and Characterizing the Transgender and Nonbinary Population Presenting to Pediatric Psychiatry Emergency Services.

Abstract

Transgender and nonbinary (TGNB) individuals have an increased risk of certain mental health outcomes, such as depression and suicide attempts. This population skews younger in the United States and prior studies have not included TGNB patients for the entire pediatric age range in an emergency department (ED) setting. The present study aimed to examine gender identity documentation in the electronic health record and then use that information to identify and further characterize the pediatric TGNB population presenting to a psychiatric emergency service. Preliminary findings include a greater percentage of TGNB patients compared to non-TGNB individuals who had repeat visits to the ED for high acuity psychiatric concerns. A larger portion of TGNB patients also had at least one evaluation that included suicidal ideation. These results call for increased attention on the quality of mental healthcare for TGNB youth both inside and outside of the ED.