Growth from Adversity in Trans and Gender Diverse People of Color

Overview

Journal Int J Transgend Health

Date 2022 Apr 11

PMID 35403108

Authors

Lee N Taube

Alexander J Mussap

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Trans-negativity and gender-based discrimination negatively impact on the wellbeing and mental health in transgender (trans) and gender diverse people (TGD). There is limited research on TGD people thriving under adversity, and no research to date has considered TGD people of color in this context.

Method: We used the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI-X) to survey 125 TGD people of color and 625 white TGD adults (18 to 68 years old, M = 26.0, SD = 9.2) about their experiences of growth from adversity. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), using sub-sampling to compensate for our unequal sample sizes, supported a five-factor structure of the PTGI-X consisting of growth in relating to others, finding new possibilities, personal strength, greater appreciation of life, and spiritual/existential change. Measurement invariance tests confirmed configural, metric, and scalar invariance of this structure across the two TGD subgroups.

Results: A MANOVA revealed that growth from adversity in TGD participants was generally greater than that reported by people who have recently been exposed to a traumatic event. T-tests revealed that TGD people of color experienced more growth in terms of relating to others and more personal strength than white TGD participants. Subsequent hierarchical regressions revealed that race moderated associations between PTGI-X scores and personal well-being, with TGD people of color reporting more benefits (more well-being) at high levels of growth but also more deficits (less well-being) at low levels of growth than the white TGD subgroup.

Conclusion: The results support the use of the PTGI-X with TGD populations and across racial TGD subgroups and indicate that growth from adversity is not only prevalent in TGD people but also relevant to positive outcomes, particularly in TGD people of color.

Citing Articles

Trauma-Informed Sex Positive Approaches to Sexual Pleasure.

Fava N, Fortenberry J Int J Sex Health. 2024; 33(4):537-549.

PMID: 38595781 PMC: 10903666. DOI: 10.1080/19317611.2021.1961965.

Transgender Black, Indigenous, and People of Color: Intersections of Oppression.

Galupo M, Orphanidys J Int J Transgend Health. 2022; 23(1-2):1-4.

PMID: 35403113 PMC: 8986269. DOI: 10.1080/26895269.2022.2020035.

References

Jefferson K, Neilands T, Sevelius J . Transgender women of color: discrimination and depression symptoms. Ethn Inequal Health Soc Care. 2014; 6(4):121-136. PMC: 4205968. DOI: 10.1108/EIHSC-08-2013-0013. View

Bockting W, Miner M, Swinburne Romine R, Hamilton A, Coleman E . Stigma, mental health, and resilience in an online sample of the US transgender population. Am J Public Health. 2013; 103(5):943-51. PMC: 3698807. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301241. View

Bauer G, Hammond R, Travers R, Kaay M, Hohenadel K, Boyce M . "I don't think this is theoretical; this is our lives": how erasure impacts health care for transgender people. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 2009; 20(5):348-61. DOI: 10.1016/j.jana.2009.07.004. View

Barr S, Budge S, Adelson J . Transgender community belongingness as a mediator between strength of transgender identity and well-being. J Couns Psychol. 2016; 63(1):87-97. DOI: 10.1037/cou0000127. View

Helms J, Jernigan M, Mascher J . The meaning of race in psychology and how to change it: a methodological perspective. Am Psychol. 2005; 60(1):27-36. DOI: 10.1037/0003-066X.60.1.27. View

Wu X, Kaminga A, Dai W, Deng J, Wang Z, Pan X . The prevalence of moderate-to-high posttraumatic growth: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Affect Disord. 2018; 243:408-415. DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2018.09.023. View

Zoellner T, Maercker A . Posttraumatic growth in clinical psychology - a critical review and introduction of a two component model. Clin Psychol Rev. 2006; 26(5):626-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2006.01.008. View

Albuquerque S, Narciso I, Pereira M . Posttraumatic growth in bereaved parents: A multidimensional model of associated factors. Psychol Trauma. 2017; 10(2):199-207. DOI: 10.1037/tra0000305. View

Ragger K, Hiebler-Ragger M, Herzog G, Kapfhammer H, Unterrainer H . Sense of coherence is linked to post-traumatic growth after critical incidents in Austrian ambulance personnel. BMC Psychiatry. 2019; 19(1):89. PMC: 6417083. DOI: 10.1186/s12888-019-2065-z. View

10.

Campbell M, Hinton J, Anderson J . A systematic review of the relationship between religion and attitudes toward transgender and gender-variant people. Int J Transgend. 2020; 20(1):21-38. PMC: 6830999. DOI: 10.1080/15532739.2018.1545149. View

11.

Garofalo R, Deleon J, Osmer E, Doll M, Harper G . Overlooked, misunderstood and at-risk: exploring the lives and HIV risk of ethnic minority male-to-female transgender youth. J Adolesc Health. 2006; 38(3):230-6. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2005.03.023. View

12.

Tedeschi R, Calhoun L . The Posttraumatic Growth Inventory: measuring the positive legacy of trauma. J Trauma Stress. 1996; 9(3):455-71. DOI: 10.1007/BF02103658. View

13.

Cole E . Intersectionality and research in psychology. Am Psychol. 2009; 64(3):170-80. DOI: 10.1037/a0014564. View

14.

Seelman K, Young S, Tesene M, Alvarez-Hernandez L, Kattari L . A Comparison of Health Disparities among Transgender Adults in Colorado (USA) by Race and Income. Int J Transgend. 2020; 18(2):199-214. PMC: 7597825. DOI: 10.1080/15532739.2016.1252300. View

15.

Habib A, Stevelink S, Greenberg N, Williamson V . Post-traumatic growth in (ex-) military personnel: review and qualitative synthesis. Occup Med (Lond). 2018; 68(9):617-625. DOI: 10.1093/occmed/kqy140. View

16.

Shulman G, Holt N, Hope D, Mocarski R, Eyer J, Woodruff N . A Review of Contemporary Assessment Tools for Use with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Adults. Psychol Sex Orientat Gend Divers. 2017; 4(3):304-313. PMC: 5703434. DOI: 10.1037/sgd0000233. View

17.

Hill E, Watkins K . Women with Ovarian Cancer: Examining the Role of Social Support and Rumination in Posttraumatic Growth, Psychological Distress, and Psychological Well-being. J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2017; 24(1):47-58. DOI: 10.1007/s10880-016-9482-7. View

18.

Kamen C, Vorasarun C, Canning T, Kienitz E, Weiss C, Flores S . The Impact of Stigma and Social Support on Development of Post-traumatic Growth Among Persons Living with HIV. J Clin Psychol Med Settings. 2015; 23(2):126-34. PMC: 4873452. DOI: 10.1007/s10880-015-9447-2. View

19.

Puckett J, Matsuno E, Dyar C, Mustanski B, Newcomb M . Mental health and resilience in transgender individuals: What type of support makes a difference?. J Fam Psychol. 2019; 33(8):954-964. PMC: 7390536. DOI: 10.1037/fam0000561. View

20.

Helgeson V, Reynolds K, Tomich P . A meta-analytic review of benefit finding and growth. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2006; 74(5):797-816. DOI: 10.1037/0022-006X.74.5.797. View