Health Disparities in Transgender and Gender Expansive Adolescents: A Topical Review From a Minority Stress Framework

2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 842-847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandria M Delozier ◽  
Rebecca C Kamody ◽  
Scott Rodgers ◽  
Diane Chen
Keyword(s):  
Health Disparities ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Physical Health ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Topical Review ◽  
Resilience Factors ◽  
Path Models ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Negative Health Outcomes

Abstract Objective To present a topical review of minority stressors contributing to psychosocial and physical health disparities in transgender and gender expansive (TGE) adolescents. Methods We conducted a topical review of original research studies focused on distal stressors (e.g., discrimination; victimization; rejection; nonaffirmation), proximal stressors (e.g., expected rejection; identity concealment; internalized transphobia), and resilience factors (e.g., community connectedness; pride; parental support) and mental and physical health outcomes. Results Extant literature suggests that TGE adolescents experience a host of gender minority stressors and are at heightened risk for negative health outcomes; however, limited research has directly applied the gender minority stress framework to the experiences of TGE adolescents. Most research to date has focused on distal minority stressors and single path models to negative health outcomes, which do not account for the complex interplay between chronic minority stress, individual resilience factors, and health outcomes. Research examining proximal stressors and resilience factors is particularly scarce. Conclusions The gender minority stress model is a helpful framework for understanding how minority stressors contribute to health disparities and poor health outcomes among TGE adolescents. Future research should include multiple path models that examine relations between gender minority stressors, resilience factors, and health outcomes in large, nationally representative samples of TGE adolescents. Clinically, adaptations of evidence-based interventions to account for gender minority stressors may increase effectiveness of interventions for TGE adolescents and reduce health disparities in this population of vulnerable youth.

scholarly journals Minority Stress, Structural Stigma, and Physical Health Among Sexual and Gender Minority Individuals: Examining the Relative Strength of the Relationships

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annesa Flentje ◽  
Kristen D Clark ◽  
Ethan Cicero ◽  
Matthew R Capriotti ◽  
Micah E Lubensky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Health ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Relative Strength ◽  
Sexual Minority Women ◽  
Sexual Minority Men ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
Community Environments ◽  
And Gender

Abstract Background Sexual and gender minority (SGM; i.e., non-heterosexual and transgender or gender-expansive, respectively) people experience physical health disparities attributed to greater exposure to minority stress (experiences of discrimination or victimization, anticipation of discrimination or victimization, concealment of SGM status, and internalization of stigma) and structural stigma. Purpose To examine which components of minority stress and structural stigma have the strongest relationships with physical health among SGM people. Methods Participants (5,299 SGM people, 1,902 gender minority individuals) were from The Population Research in Identity and Disparities for Equality (PRIDE) Study. Dominance analyses estimated effect sizes showing how important each component of minority stress and structural stigma was to physical health outcomes. Results Among cisgender sexual minority women, transmasculine individuals, American Indian or Alaskan Native SGM individuals, Asian SGM individuals, and White SGM individuals a safe current environment for SGM people had the strongest relationship with physical health. For gender-expansive individuals and Black, African American, or African SGM individuals, the safety of the environment for SGM people in which they were raised had the strongest relationship with physical health. Among transfeminine individuals, victimization experiences had the strongest relationship with physical health. Among Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish individuals, accepting current environments had the strongest relationship with physical health. Among cisgender sexual minority men prejudice/discrimination experiences had the strongest relationship with physical health. Conclusion Safe community environments had the strongest relationships with physical health among most groups of SGM people. Increasing safety and buffering the effects of unsafe communities are important for SGM health.

scholarly journals Differences in Rape Acknowledgement and Mental Health Outcomes across Transgender, Non-binary, and Cisgender Bisexual Youth

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
RaeAnn Anderson ◽  
Lesley A. Tarasoff ◽  
Nicole VanKim ◽  
Corey Flanders
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Sexual Violence ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Stress Theory ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
Rape Acknowledgment ◽  
And Gender

Objective: The purpose of this study was to document the rates of rape acknowledgment (labeling rape as rape rather than using a minimizing label), and the corresponding mental health correlates using the minority stress framework in a unique and vulnerable sample: racially diverse sexual and gender minority young adults.Method: Participants were 245 young adults who identified their sexual orientation as under the bisexual umbrella. A total of 159 of these participants (65.2%) identified their gender identity as non-binary. All participants completed a series of online questionnaires regarding their sexual victimization history, mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder: PTSD), and constructs relevant to minority stress theory (level of outness, internalized bisexual negativity, connection to LGBTQ community).Results: Rape acknowledgment was significantly greater among gender non-binary participants (79.9%) than among trans and cisgender male participants (17.9%). Lack of rape acknowledgment was associated with increased anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Outness was significantly associated with greater rape acknowledgment. Conclusions: In spite of the highly increased vulnerability for sexual violence among sexual and gender minorities, very little is understood about the mechanisms of this increased vulnerability nor their unique needs for recovery. The results of this study strongly suggest the importance of a minority stress framework for understanding this increased vulnerability and for designing sexual violence prevention and recovery interventions for sexual and gender minority populations.

scholarly journals Comparing the Impact of COVID-19-Related Social Distancing on Mood and Psychiatric Indicators in Sexual and Gender Minority (SGM) and Non-SGM Individuals

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Rodriguez-Seijas ◽  
Eric C. Fields ◽  
Ryan Bottary ◽  
Sarah M. Kark ◽  
Michael R. Goldstein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Health Disparities ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender

Empirical evidence demonstrates mental health disparities between sexual and gender minority individuals (SGM) compared with cisgender heterosexual individuals. SGM individuals report elevated rates of emotional distress, symptoms related to mood and anxiety disorders, self-harm, and suicidal ideation and behavior. Social support is inversely related to psychiatric symptoms, regardless of SGM status. The COVID-19 pandemic—with its associated limited social interactions—represents an unprecedented period of acute distress with potential reductions in accessibility of social support, which might be of particular concern for SGM individuals' mental well-being. In the present study, we explored the extent to which potential changes in mental health outcomes (depressive symptoms, worry, perceived stress, positive and negative affect) throughout the duration of the pandemic were related to differences in perceptions of social support and engagement in virtual social activity, as a function of SGM status. Utilizing a large sample of US adults (N = 1,014; 18% reported SGM status), we assessed psychiatric symptoms, perceptions of social isolation, and amount of time spent socializing virtually at 3 time windows during the pandemic (between March 21 and May 21). Although SGM individuals reported greater levels of depression compared with non-SGM individuals at all 3 time points, there was no interaction between time and SGM status. Across all participants, mental health outcomes improved across time. Perceived social isolation was associated with poorer mental health outcomes. Further, time spent engaging in virtual socialization was associated with reduced depression, but only for those in self-reported quarantine. We discuss these results in terms of the nature of our sample and its impact on the generalizability of these findings to other SGM samples as well as directions for future research aimed at understanding potential health disparities in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals The Prevalence of Sexual and Gender Minority Youth in the Justice System: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 999-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa R. Jonnson ◽  
Brian M. Bird ◽  
Shanna M. Y. Li ◽  
Jodi L. Viljoen
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Sexual Minority ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Justice System ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Minority Youth ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender

Theoretical models, such as the minority stress model, suggest that sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth may be overrepresented in the justice system. However, few studies have examined rates of SGM youth in the system, and even fewer have compared them with rates of these youth in the broader community. To obtain a more accurate estimate, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 31,258 youths and compared rates of SGM youth in the justice system with those in the community. Contrary to claims that SGM youth are overrepresented generally, this review suggests that sexual minority girls, specifically, are disproportionally involved in the justice system. Rates of involvement appeared to differ across ethnic subgroups of sexual minority youth, and evidence is inconclusive regarding the prevalence of gender minority youth in the system. Implications of these findings for researchers and justice system professionals are discussed.

A critical deconstructed quantitative analysis: Sexual and gender minority stress through an intersectional lens

2020 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 859-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacey L. Williams ◽  
Sarah A. Job ◽  
Emerson Todd ◽  
Kelsey Braun
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Analysis ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Sexual And Gender Minority ◽  
And Gender

scholarly journals Gender Minority Stress and Depressive Symptoms in Transitioned Swiss Transpersons

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiziana Jäggi ◽  
Lena Jellestad ◽  
Salvatore Corbisiero ◽  
Dirk J. Schaefer ◽  
Josef Jenewein ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Minority Stress ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Multivariate Analyses ◽  
Gender Minority ◽  
Prevalence Of Depression ◽  
Multiple Regression Models ◽  
Resilience Factors ◽  
Minority Stress Model

Compared to the general population, transpersons are exposed to higher levels of discrimination and violence. The stigmatization of transpersons can lead to physical and psychological problems. In particular, transindividuals exhibit a higher prevalence of depression compared to the cispopulation. The gender minority stress model (GMSM) provides a comprehensive theoretical basis to interpret these biopsychosocial interactions. Using the GMSM, this study aimed to identify associations between experience of stigmatization and the mental health of transitioned transpersons using correlational analyses and multiple regression models. In total, 143 transpersons were recruited. Multivariate analyses identified three variables (i.e., unemployment, nonaffirmation of gender identity, and internalized transphobia) to explain variance of depressive symptoms. Furthermore, a mediation of the proximal factors between distal factors and depressive symptoms was found. However, the moderating effect of resilience factors was not demonstrated. The results confirmed the importance of distal and proximal minority stressors for the mental health of transpersons. At the same time, the protective influence of resilience factors seemed to be surprisingly minor. In the treatment of transpersons, practitioners should not only focus on somatic aspects, but also consider the person’s previous experiences of stigmatization.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document