Mental healthcare use after hormone therapy in trans and gender diverse Australians

Using longitudinal administrative data spanning 2012–2024, Dr Saxby and her team examine how mental healthcare use changes before and after initiating gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT) among over 30,000 trans and gender diverse (TGD) Australians.

In this seminar, Dr Saxby will discuss how GAHT is associated with reductions in mental health service and prescription use, especially among those receiving masculinising therapy, and how these results highlight the potential for improving access to GAHT as a strategy to improve mental health and alleviate associated healthcare costs for TGD populations.

Dr Karinna Saxby Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne   Karinna Saxby is a Health Economist at the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, University of Melbourne. Her research focuses on healthcare utilisation in Australia, particularly among priority populations, including people with disability, LGBTQ+ populations, and Indigenous peoples.   Her recent research has looked at financial incentives in primary care—such as the Rural Bulk Billing Incentive and the Closing the Gap scheme—and how structural and geographic factors influence healthcare access and outcomes.

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