Stigma, mental health, and resilience in an online sample of the US transgender population

W.O. Bockting, M.H. Miner, R.E. Swinburne Romine, A. Hamilton and E. Coleman

American Journal of Public Health, 2013, vol. 103, issue 5, 943-951

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 maleto-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.

Keywords: adaptive behavior; adult; anxiety disorder; article; depression; female; human; information processing; Internet; male; mental disease; mental stress; pathophysiology; prevalence; psychological aspect; regression analysis; social stigma; social support; somatoform disorder; transsexuality; United States, Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Anxiety Disorders; Data Collection; Depressive Disorder; Female; Humans; Internet; Male; Mental Disorders; Prevalence; Regression Analysis; Social Stigma; Social Support; Somatoform Disorders; Stress, Psychological; Transgendered Persons; United States (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (40)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301241_1

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301241

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