Mental health for transgender men: What to know

Published

2 years ago

October 20, 2023

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Transgender men face a number of unique mental health concerns. Working past personal and societal stigmas may help them access care and find the help they need.

Some mental health conditions are more common in transgender men. Treatments, including hormone therapy, may help alleviate symptoms of mental health issues, though not everyone wants these.

As a close friend or family member of a transgender man, there are some ways to support their transition and mental health. This can include holding space for them or offering support to find quality mental health care.

Keep reading to learn more about mental health in transgender men, from common issues, the unique difficulties transgender men may face, and how to help and support them. Mental health in transgender men Share on Pinterest Gender-affirming environments can help support the mental health of a transgender man.

A study in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine notes the difference between markers of mental health in cisgender people of college age and gender minority people. In this context, gender minority means those who identify with a gender other than they were assigned at birth.

In general, gender minority people seem to have a significantly higher prevalence of mental health symptoms.

According to this study, gender minority people are more than four times as likely to have at least one mental health problem compared with their cisgender counterparts.

Possible mental health disorders include:depressionanxietyself-harmeating disorderssuicidal thoughts or tendencies

A similar study in BMC Public Health also found that transgender people were more likely to experience reduced life satisfaction and increased signs of loneliness.

There are a number of reasons why this may be the case.

For more research-backed information and resources for mens health, please visit our dedicated hub.Was this helpful? Unique challenges

There are many contributing factors why transgender men and transgender people may face more mental health conditions than other groups.

Overall, transgender people may have increased stressors throughout their lives than their cisgender peers when it comes to sexual orientation and gender identity.

These stressors may include:rejection from familyrejection by loved oneslow self-esteempoor coping skillsbody image issuespoor sexual satisfactionavoidant behaviors

The effect of these stressors throughout life may contribute to lower mental health.

Loneliness may also play a role in mental health issues.

A study in the Journal of Clinical Medicine notes that social loneliness was the main predictor of poor mental health in transgender people.

In transgender men, specifically, romantic loneliness appears to be the strongest factor. The study associated higher levels of loneliness with lower levels of mental health.

As loneliness may be more likely in transgender people, its effects may manifest as poor mental health.

Societal expectations may also play a role. Social attitudes to gender expression can vary greatly from one place to the next.

Because of this, transgender men may face discrimination throughout their lives. They may experience:possible violencepersonal prejudicessocial stigma

These factors can influence the negative mental health aspects that transgender people sometimes experience.

The stigma surrounding both mental health and gender minority identities may also keep people from reaching out or seeking help.

This silence itself may reduce the access a person has to support and may promote a cycle of needing help, feeling bad for needing help, and feeling even worse because of this trap.

Leaving these issues untreated may lead to worsened mental health and, in extreme cases, to deep depression or suicide. Suicide preventionIf you know someone at immediate risk of self-harm, suicide, or hurting another person:Ask the tough question: Are you considering suicide?Listen to the person without judgment.Call 911 or the local emergency number, or text TALK to 741741 to communicate with a trained crisis counselor.Stay with the person until professional help arrives.Try to remove any weapons, medications, or other potentially harmful objects.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, a prevention hotline can help. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 988. During a crisis, people who are hard of hearing can use their preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.

Click here for more links and local resources.Was this helpful? Mental health effects in transgender men

Mental health issues may affect transgender men differently than their cisgender peers, especially if the person does not have access to gender-affirming treatments.

Treatments that affirm gender identity may help ease symptoms, while treatments that deny someones identity may not.

Mental health issues may also affect transgender men differently than cisgender people if they do not have access to a proper support system.

Whether from their peer group, family, or general population, acceptance of a persons gender identity may be a big step toward improving their mental health. Drugs, hormones, and mental health

Gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) involves giving a person with gender dysphoria safe doses of hormones to help them transition to their true gender identity.

A review in Current Psychiatry Reports notes that overall, GAHT has positive psychological impacts on both adolescents and adults.

GAHT reduces symptoms of mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression, reduces markers of social stress, and improves quality of life and self-esteem.

Hormone therapy is often an integral part of alleviating gender dysphoria and may be key to treating underlying mental health issues.

It is important to note that while many transgender people choose GAHT to help affirm their gender identity, not all transgender people will opt for or even desire this treatment.How to support people during transition

As a friend or family member of a transgender man, it may be difficult to imagine what they are going through during transition. A cisgender person may never completely understand the process or difficulty a transgender person faces during these times.

Crucially, friends and family members of a transgender man can aim to be supportive.

Creating a gender-affirming environment in a familial or social setting may help ease gender dysphoria. It may also make it easier to facilitate treatment for underlying mental health conditions.

As part of this supportive role, it may help to:become educated about transgender issues and solutionsuse the persons favored pronouns and namekeep the lines of communication openlisten without being judgementalavoid making assumptions about someones sexual preferences, gender roles, or desire for treatmentadvocate for transgender rights

It can take time to adjust to a persons identity as they transition, and the change may produce reactions, judgments, or confusion.

Mental health professionals and support groups may offer tools and resources, not just for the transgender person undergoing the transition, but for those close to them, as well. Treatment

As the National LGBT Health Education Center note, the mental illness and mental health of a transgender person are entirely separate from the fact that they are transgender. Proper treatment will reflect this.

Gender dysphoria, or the feeling or stress of a person not having the same gender identity as the sex they were assigned at birth, is a mental health disorder, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-5).

While many transgender people may struggle with gender dysphoria, and seek treatment for it, having a transgender identity is not the same thing. It is not in the DSM-5, as it is not a form of psychopathy.

For most people, affirming their gender identity through gender-affirming health practices and treatments can treat their feelings of gender dysphoria.

Some people will need hormone therapy and surgery to fully alleviate their gender dysphria, while others may not need either.

In many cases treating gender dysphoria may reduce signs of mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety.

Properly treating gender dysphoria can reduce the stressors on a transgender person and help them focus on any underlying issues.

While focusing on gender-affirming treatments, mental health specialists can also diagnose and treat any other underlying mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, or eating disorders.

Treatment for individual mental health issues can vary greatly. Therapies may include a combination of prescription medications and various forms of psychotherapy.

It is essential that these treatments also integrate gender-affirming environments and therapies that support favorable outcomes in transgender people. Summary

Transgender men face unique mental health issues, and working towards a solution is a delicate process.

Some drugs and hormone therapy may alleviate stressful symptoms, though not every transgender man will choose these options.

It is important to support someone through their transition and as they seek mental health care when they need it.

Sports

Sources: Tkachuk dodges discipline, will play G4

Published

3 hours ago

April 27, 2025

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Sources: Tkachuk dodges discipline, will play G4

Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk will not receive supplemental discipline for his hit on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Jake Geuntzel in Game 3, sources told ESPN on Sunday.

Tkachuk’s hit, in the third period of his team’s 5-1 loss, received a five-minute major. According to sources, the NHL Department of Player Safety determined that was enough, considering Guentzel had recently touched the puck and Tkachuk didn’t make contact with Guentzel’s head.

The department also believed that the force in which Tkachuk hit Guentzel was far lesser than the hit Tampa’s Brandon Hagel made on Florida captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2, which earned Hagel a one game suspension.

The plays led both coaches to trade jabs in the media. After Barkov went down in Game 2, Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice said: “The only players we hit are the one with pucks.”

Barkov missed the end of the third period, but played in Game 3. Game 4 is Monday at Amerant Bank Arena.

At his postgame press conference, following Tkachuk’s hit on Guentzel, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper deadpanned the exact same line as Maurice.

Tkachuk leads the series in scoring with three goals and an assist through three games. Guentzel has two goals and two assists for Tampa Bay.

The Battle of Florida is living up to the billing as one of the most contentious rivalries in hockey; either Tampa or Florida has made it to the Stanley Cup Final in each of the last five seasons.

Sports

Jets’ Hellebuyck allows five goals, pulled again

Published

3 hours ago

April 27, 2025

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Jets' Hellebuyck allows five goals, pulled again

ESPN News Services

Apr 27, 2025, 04:36 PM ET

ST. LOUIS — Connor Hellebuyck, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner who is among the favorites to win the award again this season, allowed five goals before being pulled early in the third period as the top-seeded Winnipeg Jets fell to the St. Louis Blues 5-1 on Sunday, evening their Western Conference first-round series at 2-2.

Hellebuyck has now been pulled in back-to-back games in St. Louis, during which he has allowed 11 goals and posted a paltry .744 save percentage. Eric Comrie made five saves in relief of Hellebuyck on Sunday, but the game had long been decided by that point.

His performances have not only energized the Blues, the No. 8 seed who lost the first two games of this series, but their fans, as well. In the third period Sunday, the St. Louis faithful chanted, “We want Connor” as he sat on the Jets’ bench.

Brayden Schenn, Tyler Tucker and Justin Faulk each scored second-period goals to give the Blues a 4-1 lead, and Robert Thomas scored 2:01 into the third, ending Hellebuyck’s day.

Across the ice, St. Louis goaltender Jordan Binnington, who defeated Hellebuyck in the 4 Nations Face-Off final in February when Canada outlasted Team USA, made 30 saves in the win. The Blues have now won 14 straight regular-season and playoff games at home dating back to Feb. 23.

“The last 10 minutes, we gave up three goals,” Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel said of the second period. “Those are coverage goals, and those are situations that we usually handle pretty well. They are finding ways to get that puck in the net.”

Kyle Connor scored for the Jets, staking the road team to a 1-0 lead, but the powerful Winnipeg offense that helped the club win the Presidents’ Trophy was never heard from again.

“This is obviously not what we wanted,” Winnipeg forward Mark Scheifele said. “But it’s a best two-of-three series now.”

Hellebuyck has been pulled in consecutive games only one other time in his career, and given the Jets lost in Round 1 last season to the Colorado Avalanche, the Winnipeg goaltending situation figures to be a storyline the rest of this series.

“At the end of the day, you know what, they took advantage of home ice,” Arniel said of the Blues. “We’ve put ourselves in this position. And our best players have to be better than their best players.”

The Jets and Blues return to Winnipeg for Game 5 on Wednesday night.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Sports

Williams out as Yanks’ closer; Weaver to get a shot

Published

3 hours ago

April 27, 2025

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Williams out as Yanks' closer; Weaver to get a shot

Jorge CastilloApr 27, 2025, 12:37 PM ET
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NEW YORK — Devin Williams has been removed from his role as New York Yankees closer “for right now,” manager Aaron Boone said Sunday.

The move comes two days after Williams endured another rough outing and was booed off the mound at Yankee Stadium in a loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. The 30-year-old right-hander has a 11.25 ERA with career-worst marks in strikeout rate (18.2%), whiff rate (24.1%) and walk rate (15.9%) in eight innings across 10 appearances this season.

“He’s still got everything to be great, right? This is a guy that is in the prime of his career and he’s just going through it a little bit,” said Boone, who informed Williams of the decision Saturday. “I tell our players all the time, you make a career that’s long enough and you’re going to face some challenging moments. You’re going to face some adversity along the way. And good news for Devin is he’s got everything to get through this and come out better on the other side. And that’s my expectation.

“But, for right now, I think it’s best for everyone that we pull him out of that role and try and start building some good rhythm and confidence and momentum and fully expect him to be a central figure for us moving forward.”

Boone said setup man Luke Weaver, who has a 0.00 ERA in 13 innings pitched this season, will assume “a lot of” the team’s save opportunities. Boone maintained he is open to using Weaver in high-leverage spots earlier in games and other relievers to close.

As for Williams, Boone said he won’t have a specific role — whether pitching in low-leverage situations or tight spots just earlier in games — as he seeks to re-establish himself for a team with the ninth-best bullpen ERA in the majors despite his struggles.

The key will be for Williams to avoid falling behind in counts as he did against the three hitters he faced Friday, leading to the home crowd again showering him with loud boos while adding a “We want Weaver!” chant.

Williams wound up surrendering two runs on three hits without recording an out to blow the save and continue his alarming troubles.

The Yankees hope his changeup-fastball mix will baffle hitters again and allow him to return to the pitcher he has been for his entire career.

“Count leverage is a big thing for pitchers, understandably, as it is for hitters,” Boone said. “And I think he’s been behind a number of times. He’s also had it not bounce his way in a number of these games where it’s gotten away.

“But I think the biggest thing for a guy as good as he is, as good as his track record is, and where he is from an age standpoint in the prime of his career, it’s just about, I think, man, having it start to click, getting in a good rhythm and then off we go.”

The Yankees acquired Williams in December to replace Clay Holmes as the club’s closer with one year of team control remaining before reaching free agency. The trade, which sent left-hander Nestor Cortes and prospect Corbin Durbin to Milwaukee, figured to cement the Yankees’ bullpen as one of the best in the majors.

Williams established himself as one of baseball’s premier relievers over six seasons with the Brewers using a singular screwball-like changeup known as “The Airbender.” The right-hander posted a 1.83 ERA with a 39.4% across 241 appearances in Milwaukee. He won the 2020 National League Rookie of the Year Award as a setup man for Josh Hader and made two All-Star teams. His status was undisputed.

But Williams’ Yankees tenure has been turbulent from start. After emerging as the catalyst to have the Yankees’ decades-long no-beard policy changed during spring training, he was booed at Yankee Stadium during his sloppy debut on Opening Day against his former club.

Boone acknowledged the fans’ treatment could have an impact on Williams’ performance.

“I think there’s that adjustment,” Boone said. “Devin’s really been nothing but successful at the big-league level. He’s dominated. So, that’s all part of it. That’s what I talk to these guys all the time about is like, again, you’re going to go through a tough moment. When I came here in 2003 at the trade deadline, Mariano Rivera was getting booed in August. I couldn’t believe it. And then he’s still Mariano Rivera, recoups and goes on to do what he does.

“So, I’m sure there’s some shock to that and some … getting settled. He’s with a new team in a new environment. That’s all part of it. But my reminder to him is you have all the equipment to do this at an elite level and that’s still a reality.”

In other developments, Luis Gil, the reigning AL Rookie of the Year Award winner, started his throwing program Sunday. He has been sidelined since Feb. 28 because of a high-grade lat strain, is on the 60-day injured list and is projected to return in June at the earliest.

Also, right-hander Jonathan Loáisiga, who is returning from internal brace elbow surgery, started his rehab assignment for Class A Tampa on Saturday and threw 11 pitches with one strikeout in a clean inning. He could rejoin the Yankees as early as late May.