"I am smart and strong and beautiful": Understanding the Association Between Sense of Mastery and Suicidality Among Canadian BPOC Transgender YouthJimmy Chokmeesuk, BA; Mauricio Coronel-Villalobos, PhD; Ace Chan, PhD Student; Monica Rana, PhD; Ronita Nath, PhD; Elizabeth M Saewyc, PhD, RN, FSAHM, FCAHS, FAAN, FCANUniversity of British ColumbiaResearch Questions• Is there a relationship between a sense of mastery and suicidality among TNB specific to BPOC youth? • How does a sense of mastery impact one’s self-esteem and suicidality?Background• Researchers and health care providers tend to overlook TNB, specific to BPOC populations, resulting in the highest rates of suicide across marginalized groups [2]• To establish an effective suicide prevention plan, we need to fully understand the risk and protective factors of suicidality from TNB among BPOC’s lived experiences [5]• Suicide theories focusing on the trans population suggest lack of sense of belongingness, discrimination, systematic oppression, social isolation and rejection play a significant role in intensifying suicidal ideation [1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9]• Prior research investigates academic achievement and suicide. However, little to no research exploring the relationship between a sense of mastery, like art and sports, and suicidality [3, 6] SARAVYC.UBC.CA @SARAVYCMethods• Data from the “Canadian Trans and Non-binary Youth Health Survey" [8], to conduct correlational analyses of the variables of interest• The sense of mastery write-in responses was analyzed using content analysis and categorized (arts, academics, literature, social skills, sports, technology, gaming and culinary)Sample• 213 TNB BPOC youth (M age = 20 years old, age range = 14 years old - 25 years old, 103 nonbinary youth)Measures• Sense of mastery (Can you name one thing you are good at?)• Self-esteem (14-item Mental Health Continuum Short Form [MHC-SF])• Suicidality (During the past 12 months, did you ever seriously consider killing yourself? And During the past 12 months, how many times did you actually try to kill yourself?)Discussion• Quantitative results: sense of mastery might be a contributing protective factor. • Does not solve suicide crisis in the White supremacist, cis-heteronormative and capitalistic society• Qualitative results: most youth’s sense of mastery are arts, academics, social skills, literature and sports• In a current political situation, trans rights are still a “debate.”• Lack of support in queer arts, inclusive and safe study environment• Some are unsure of sense of mastery but expressed in a joking and/or sarcastic way. • Suggest a poor self-concept• Recommendations• Creating safer program for trans people of colour to explore their talents• Public school must provide mandatory training for teachers and other staff about trans and nonbinary youth while adopting the anti-oppressive approach• Strengths• Positive research approach to trans lives• Future directions• More research approach that reduce suicidality among this population References1. 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The Three-Step Theory (3ST): A new theory of suicide rooted in the "Ideation-to-Action" framework. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 8, 114-129.6. Martin, G., Richardson, A. S., Bergen, H. A., Roeger, L., & Allison, S. (2005). Perceived academic performance, self-esteem and locus of control as indicators of need for assessment of adolescent suicide risk: Implications for teachers. Journal of Adolescence, 28(1), 75-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2004.04.0057. Mereish, E. H., Parra, L. A., Watson, R. J., & Fish, J. N. (2021). Subtle and intersectional minority stress and depressive symptoms among sexual and gender minority adolescents of color: Mediating role of self-esteem and sense of mastery. Prevention Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-021-01294-98. Taylor, A.B., Chan, A., Hall, S.L., Saewyc, E. M., & the Canadian Trans & Non-binary Youth Health Survey Research Group (2020). Being Safe, Being Me 2019: Results of the Canadian Trans and Non-binary Youth Health Survey. Vancouver, Canada: Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre, University of British Columbia.9. Veale, J. F., Peter, T., Travers, R., & Saewyc, E. M. (2017). Enacted stigma, mental health, and protective factors among transgender youth in Canada. Transgender Health, 2(1), 207-216. https://doi.org/10.1089/trgh.2017.0031Contact: jchokmee@mail.ubc.caTable 1 Pearson Correlations among the variables of interest   Variables 1 2 1. Sense of Mastery   2. Considered Suicide -.164*  3. Attempted Suicide -.142 .457**                 * p<.05; ** p<.001 512151811114200102030405060ArtsAcademicsSportsSocial skillsCulinaryLiteratureGamingTechnologyUnsureTHE SENSE OF MASTERY OF BPOC TRANS YOUTH FROM WRITE-IN RESPONSES