American Journal of Public Health· 2013Q1
Stigma, Mental Health, and Resilience in an Online Sample of the US Transgender Population
- 1,529citations
- Q1SCImago
- 2013year
Short summary
Social stigma is positively associated with psychological distress (depression, anxiety, somatization) in the US transgender population, but peer support significantly moderates this relationship.
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Key points
- 44.1% of US transgender individuals surveyed reported clinical depression.
- 33.2% reported clinical anxiety, and 27.5% reported somatization.
- Social stigma was directly associated with higher psychological distress.
- Peer support from other transgender individuals moderated the link between stigma and distress.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: We assessed the association between minority stress, mental health, and potential ameliorating factors in a large, community-based, geographically diverse sample of the US transgender population. METHODS: In 2003, we recruited through the Internet a sample of 1093 male-to-female and female-to-male transgender persons, stratified by gender. Participants completed an online survey that included standardized measures of mental health. Guided by the minority stress model, we evaluated associations between stigma and mental health and tested whether indicators of resilience (family support, peer support, identity pride) moderated these associations. RESULTS: Respondents had a high prevalence of clinical depression (44.1%), anxiety (33.2%), and somatization (27.5%). Social stigma was positively associated with psychological distress. Peer support (from other transgender people) moderated this relationship. We found few differences by gender identity. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the minority stress model. Prevention needs to confront social structures, norms, and attitudes that produce minority stress for gender-variant people; enhance peer support; and improve access to mental health and social services that affirm transgender identity and promote resilience.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. American Journal of Public Health, 2013 · DOI ↗
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Field: Social Psychology
Social PsychologyPsychology