Poster Paper:
Social Exclusion and Mental Health Among Transgender Adolescents: Results from a Representative Sample
*Names in bold indicate Presenter
Methods. We used data from the 2015 Dane County Youth Assessment, a county-level representative sample of 12,000 high-school students. Mental health (e.g. depressive symptoms, suicidality, eating disorders) and social exclusion experiences (e.g. parent support, school connection, victimization) were measured using self-report items. Comparisons were made using cross-sectional ordinary least squares and logistic regressions models.
Results. Trans-identified adolescents disproportionately endorsed negative mental health experiences, including indicators of long-term and severe distress, and reported higher levels of social exclusion than their cisgender peers. Social exclusion explained variability in mental health outcomes but did not fully account for disparities based on gender identity. Specifically, after accounting for social exclusion, trans-identified adolescents evidenced greater odds of reporting a long-term eating disorder, depressive symptoms, suicidality, and self-harm than their cisgender peers. We contextualized these findings by recording a similar pattern of associations among gender nonconforming and sexual minority youth.
Conclusions. This study reiterates prior research findings that indicate trans-identified adolescents disproportionately report psychological distress, and suggests this distress is partially explained by trans-identified adolescents’ increased exposure to social exclusion. Further research on the discrimination experiences of trans-identified youth is evident, as is the need for trans-inclusive mental health interventions and policies.
