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Anti-transgender legislation causes psychological distress even in states with trans-friendly laws, according to VCU research
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1144600
INTRO: Legislation that impacts or discriminates against transgender and gender-diverse individuals can cause more psychological distress than personal experiences of discrimination, according to new Virginia Commonwealth University research published in the journal American Psychologist. The study also found that individuals with those identities experienced psychological distress from anti-transgender laws even if they lived in a state with legislation that is friendly toward transgender and gender-diverse individuals.
“We found that above and beyond everything else in the model, including active experiences of discrimination, that anti-trans legislation anxiety was driving psychological distress,” said Catherine Wall, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology in the College of Humanities and Sciences and the study’s lead author.
Over 2,000 laws that directly or indirectly discriminate against transgender and gender-diverse individuals have been proposed at both the state and federal level since 2020, many of which limit access to healthcare, public facilities and sports leagues. The researchers used survey data from 346 transgender and gender diverse adults in the United States, collected in early 2024, to assess participants’ anxiety levels around anti-transgender legislation, their experiences with discrimination based on their identities, their level of support and community connection, and other related statistics.
Through quantitative data analysis, the researchers found a strong relationship between psychological distress and anti-transgender legislation anxiety, and a moderate relationship between news anxiety and news exposure. The researchers also found that those with less community connectedness and familial support experienced greater psychological distress.
Notably, the study found that familial support and community support had equally strong relationships to an individual’s level of psychological distress, suggesting that non-familial friendships and connections can be just as strong as familial bonds in supporting a transgender person’s mental wellness.
“It’s not just enough to look at trans people within the light of deficit,” Wall said. “We also need to look at strength and resiliency factors as well.” (MORE - no ads)
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1144600
INTRO: Legislation that impacts or discriminates against transgender and gender-diverse individuals can cause more psychological distress than personal experiences of discrimination, according to new Virginia Commonwealth University research published in the journal American Psychologist. The study also found that individuals with those identities experienced psychological distress from anti-transgender laws even if they lived in a state with legislation that is friendly toward transgender and gender-diverse individuals.
“We found that above and beyond everything else in the model, including active experiences of discrimination, that anti-trans legislation anxiety was driving psychological distress,” said Catherine Wall, Ph.D., an assistant professor of psychology in the College of Humanities and Sciences and the study’s lead author.
Over 2,000 laws that directly or indirectly discriminate against transgender and gender-diverse individuals have been proposed at both the state and federal level since 2020, many of which limit access to healthcare, public facilities and sports leagues. The researchers used survey data from 346 transgender and gender diverse adults in the United States, collected in early 2024, to assess participants’ anxiety levels around anti-transgender legislation, their experiences with discrimination based on their identities, their level of support and community connection, and other related statistics.
Through quantitative data analysis, the researchers found a strong relationship between psychological distress and anti-transgender legislation anxiety, and a moderate relationship between news anxiety and news exposure. The researchers also found that those with less community connectedness and familial support experienced greater psychological distress.
Notably, the study found that familial support and community support had equally strong relationships to an individual’s level of psychological distress, suggesting that non-familial friendships and connections can be just as strong as familial bonds in supporting a transgender person’s mental wellness.
“It’s not just enough to look at trans people within the light of deficit,” Wall said. “We also need to look at strength and resiliency factors as well.” (MORE - no ads)