More Than a Feeling: A Mixed-Methods Examination of Transgender Community Connectedness and Associations with Suicidality

Transgender adults experience significantly higher rates of suicidal ideation than the general population. A sense of transgender community connectedness (STCC) may reduce this risk, but predictors of STCC and its association with suicidal ideation are understudied. This cross-sectional mixed methods study examined STCC and past-year suicidal ideation in relation to dimensions of transgender community connectedness (TCC) at each level of the Social Ecological Model using data from a U.S. survey of transgender adults (n = 126). About half (52.4%) felt connected to the transgender community, and 27.0% reported past-year suicidal ideation. Hierarchical logistic regression models for both outcomes showed good fit. In the STCC model, visibility lost significance after the first step, while sufficient trans ties predicted 2.96 times higher odds of STCC (aOR = 2.96, 95% CI [1.12, 7.84], p = .029), compared to those with insufficient trans ties. Relational factors, including high perceived peer support (aOR = 5.92, 95% CI [1.88, 18.59], p = .002) and received peer support (aOR = 2.71, 95% CI [1.01, 7.24], p = .039), were also significantly associated with higher odds of STCC compared to low support. In the suicidal ideation model, odds were 69% lower for those with a college degree compared to those without, and 77% lower for those with high STCC compared to low STCC. Odds were 7.47 times higher for those reporting serious psychological distress and 4.33 times higher for those who received peer support, compared to those without distress or who did not receive support. Open-ended responses emphasized TCC’s role in fostering safety, self-expression, existential validation, lifesaving support, and belonging. Findings support the need to develop a multilevel, multidimensional TCC measure, research the mechanisms by which TCC influences suicidality, and identify intervenable correlates of suicidality to inform community-based interventions.