Family Support, Gender Affirmation, and More: Community Resilience Factors for Trans and Gender Diverse Individuals
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Category
Social Sciences/Humanities
Abstract/Artist Statement
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals face significant mental health disparities. Minority stress research has identified key contributors to these disparities and, more recently, begun to examine factors promoting resilience. While family support and gender-affirming care well-established protective factors, but few studies have evaluated additional potential sources of resilience. During a time of increased minority stress for TGD individuals, identifying protective factors and pathways to resilience are especially important.
278 TGD adults completed an online survey and answered questions about the following community-level resilience factors: perceived support from significant others, family, and friends; LGBT community connectedness; medical and legal gender affirmation; engagement in collective action; media representation currently and in childhood; and identification as a positive role model. Five stepwise regressions examined the associations between these factors and depression, anxiety, alcohol use, psychological distress, and psychological wellbeing.
Resilience factors were significantly predictive of all outcomes except alcohol use. Perceived family support emerged as a significant predictor of lower depression, anxiety and psychological distress, as well as greater psychological wellbeing. Higher levels of gender affirmation were associated with less anxiety and general distress. In addition, greater perceived significant other support and media representation in childhood were significant predictors of lower depression and anxiety, respectively. Psychological wellbeing was uniquely positively associated with perceived friend support and identification as a positive role model.
Results reaffirm the particular importance of family support and gender-affirming care TGD adults. However, the presence of significant other and friend support, media representation, and identification as a positive role model as predictors also highlights that research on TGD health disparities should continue to examine multiple forms of resilience. Differences in predictors between psychological wellbeing and negative outcomes underscore the value of strength-based approaches through investigating positive outcomes.
Mentor Name
Bryan Cochran
Family Support, Gender Affirmation, and More: Community Resilience Factors for Trans and Gender Diverse Individuals
UC 332
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals face significant mental health disparities. Minority stress research has identified key contributors to these disparities and, more recently, begun to examine factors promoting resilience. While family support and gender-affirming care well-established protective factors, but few studies have evaluated additional potential sources of resilience. During a time of increased minority stress for TGD individuals, identifying protective factors and pathways to resilience are especially important.
278 TGD adults completed an online survey and answered questions about the following community-level resilience factors: perceived support from significant others, family, and friends; LGBT community connectedness; medical and legal gender affirmation; engagement in collective action; media representation currently and in childhood; and identification as a positive role model. Five stepwise regressions examined the associations between these factors and depression, anxiety, alcohol use, psychological distress, and psychological wellbeing.
Resilience factors were significantly predictive of all outcomes except alcohol use. Perceived family support emerged as a significant predictor of lower depression, anxiety and psychological distress, as well as greater psychological wellbeing. Higher levels of gender affirmation were associated with less anxiety and general distress. In addition, greater perceived significant other support and media representation in childhood were significant predictors of lower depression and anxiety, respectively. Psychological wellbeing was uniquely positively associated with perceived friend support and identification as a positive role model.
Results reaffirm the particular importance of family support and gender-affirming care TGD adults. However, the presence of significant other and friend support, media representation, and identification as a positive role model as predictors also highlights that research on TGD health disparities should continue to examine multiple forms of resilience. Differences in predictors between psychological wellbeing and negative outcomes underscore the value of strength-based approaches through investigating positive outcomes.