Gender Minority Stress and Depressive Symptoms in Transitioned Swiss Transpersons

• Published in: BioMed research international Vol. 2018; no. 2018; pp. 1 - 10
• Main Authors: Garcia Nuñez, David, Schneeberger, Andres, Jenewein, Josef, Schaefer, D. J., Corbisiero, Salvatore, Jellestad, Lena, Jäggi, Tiziana, Kuhn, Annette
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cairo, Egypt Hindawi Publishing Corporation 01.01.2018; Hindawi; John Wiley & Sons, Inc; Hindawi Limited
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aggression; Analysis; Behavioral sciences; Correlation analysis; Depression, Mental; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Employment; Female; Gender; Gender aspects; Gender identity; Humans; Male; Mediation; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mental health; Middle Aged; Multiple regression models; Psychology; Quality of life; Regression Analysis; Resilience; Sexual and Gender Minorities - psychology; Social Stigma; Stigma; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Studies; Surgery; Switzerland; Transgender persons; Transgender Persons - psychology; Violence; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2314-6133; 2314-6141
• DOI: 10.1155/2018/8639263

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.