Protective Factors for Transgender Adults
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Date
2015-05
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Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
Transgender people, or people who do not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth, often experience minority stress as a part of daily life. This stress stems from negative societal attitudes about gender nonconformity, and can have serious mental, physical, financial, and social consequences. However, some transgender people are psychologically resilient and are able to lead healthy, satisfying lives. While it is possible that these people simply experience less stress, it is also possible that there are certain factors at play, called protective factors, which lower risks or cause individuals to be more resilient. Although some studies have identified protective factors for subgroups of the transgender population, no studies have examined general psychological protective factors for transgender adults. The current study investigates possible protective factors using a secondary analysis of data from 108 self-identified transgender individuals who completed an extensive survey online. Findings show that being low in internalized transphobia, having fewer fears of gender-related rejection, and taking steps to transition are associated with more positive mental health outcomes for transgender people. This suggests that that those who have more confidence in their transgender identity are likely to have higher quality of life and self-esteem. Findings also suggest that social support from three major areas (immediate family, extended family, and friends) is associated with more positive mental health outcomes, including higher quality of life, higher self-esteem, lower loneliness, and lower internalized transphobia. Future research is necessary to explore the ways different protective factors influence one another and the effects of enhancing these factors.
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Keywords
transgender, protective factors, lgbt, resilience, lgbtq