The Association Between Religiosity and Resilience Among Young Trans Women

Overview

Journal PLoS One

Specialties General Medicine
Science

Date 2023 Jul 31

PMID 37523378

Authors

Jeremy C Wang

Willi McFarland

Sean Arayasirikul

Erin C Wilson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Young transgender women (trans women) experience poor health in part due to discrimination. Factors that promote resilience may help young trans women positively adapt to discrimination, resulting in attenuation of poor health outcomes. While religion is sometimes a source of stigma and transphobia, qualitative studies have identified religiosity as an important resilience resource for young trans women. The goals of this study were to quantitatively measure religiosity and resilience among young trans women and to assess whether they are associated.

Methods: From 2012-2013, 300 young trans women between the ages of 16-24 years were enrolled in a longitudinal study; we examined the cross-sectional baseline data on demographics, religiosity, and resilience. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis examined the correlation between demographics (age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income) and religiosity among young trans women. Additionally, bivariate and multivariable logistic regression analysis examined the association between religiosity and resilience among young trans women, controlling for age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, and income.

Results: Participants who reported high religiosity had significantly greater odds (aOR 1.78, 95% CI 1.05-3.01, p = .03) of reporting high resilience compared to those reporting low religiosity. Black/African American participants had significantly higher odds (aOR 6.16, 95% CI 2.34-16.20, p = < .001) of reporting high religiosity compared to those who identified as White.

Conclusion: Religiosity may be an important resilience resource for young trans women. Gender affirming religious and spiritual interventions may promote resilience among some young trans women.

References

Torres C, Renfrew M, Kenst K, Tan-McGrory A, Betancourt J, Lopez L . Improving transgender health by building safe clinical environments that promote existing resilience: Results from a qualitative analysis of providers. BMC Pediatr. 2015; 15:187. PMC: 4650954. DOI: 10.1186/s12887-015-0505-6. View

Rouhani S, Decker M, Tomko C, Silberzahn B, Allen S, Park J . Resilience among Cisgender and Transgender Women in Street-Based Sex Work in Baltimore, Maryland. Womens Health Issues. 2020; 31(2):148-156. PMC: 8005437. DOI: 10.1016/j.whi.2020.11.002. View

White J, Dangerfield 2nd D, Donovan E, Miller D, Grieb S . Exploring the role of LGBT-affirming churches in health promotion for Black sexual minority men. Cult Health Sex. 2019; 22(10):1191-1206. PMC: 7141971. DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2019.1666429. View

de la Rosa I, Barnett-Queen T, Messick M, Gurrola M . Spirituality and Resilience Among Mexican American IPV Survivors. J Interpers Violence. 2015; 31(20):3332-3351. DOI: 10.1177/0886260515584351. View

Hope M, Assari S, Cole-Lewis Y, Caldwell C . Religious Social Support, Discrimination, and Psychiatric Disorders among Black Adolescents. Race Soc Probl. 2020; 9(2):102-114. PMC: 7034935. DOI: 10.1007/s12552-016-9192-7. View

Arayasirikul S, Chen Y, Jin H, Wilson E . A Web 2.0 and Epidemiology Mash-Up: Using Respondent-Driven Sampling in Combination with Social Network Site Recruitment to Reach Young Transwomen. AIDS Behav. 2015; 20(6):1265-74. PMC: 4846587. DOI: 10.1007/s10461-015-1234-4. View

Rimes K, Goodship N, Ussher G, Baker D, West E . Non-binary and binary transgender youth: Comparison of mental health, self-harm, suicidality, substance use and victimization experiences. Int J Transgend. 2020; 20(2-3):230-240. PMC: 6831005. DOI: 10.1080/15532739.2017.1370627. View

Hwahng S, Allen B, Zadoretzky C, Barber Doucet H, McKnight C, Des Jarlais D . Thick trust, thin trust, social capital, and health outcomes among trans women of color in New York City. Int J Transgend Health. 2022; 23(1-2):214-231. PMC: 8986172. DOI: 10.1080/26895269.2021.1889427. View

Rowe C, Santos G, McFarland W, Wilson E . Prevalence and correlates of substance use among trans female youth ages 16-24 years in the San Francisco Bay Area. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2014; 147:160-6. PMC: 4297727. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.11.023. View

10.

Day J, Fish J, Perez-Brumer A, Hatzenbuehler M, Russell S . Transgender Youth Substance Use Disparities: Results From a Population-Based Sample. J Adolesc Health. 2017; 61(6):729-735. PMC: 6802742. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2017.06.024. View

11.

Connor K, Davidson J . Development of a new resilience scale: the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Depress Anxiety. 2003; 18(2):76-82. DOI: 10.1002/da.10113. View

12.

Erosheva E, Kim H, Emlet C, Fredriksen-Goldsen K . Social Networks of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Older Adults. Res Aging. 2015; 38(1):98-123. PMC: 4706743. DOI: 10.1177/0164027515581859. View

13.

Dolcos F, Hohl K, Hu Y, Dolcos S . Religiosity and Resilience: Cognitive Reappraisal and Coping Self-Efficacy Mediate the Link between Religious Coping and Well-Being. J Relig Health. 2021; 60(4):2892-2905. PMC: 7790337. DOI: 10.1007/s10943-020-01160-y. View

14.

Perez-Brumer A, Reisner S, McLean S, Silva-Santisteban A, Huerta L, Mayer K . Leveraging social capital: multilevel stigma, associated HIV vulnerabilities, and social resilience strategies among transgender women in Lima, Peru. J Int AIDS Soc. 2017; 20(1):21462. PMC: 5467605. DOI: 10.7448/IAS.20.1.21462. View

15.

Wilson E, Chen Y, Arayasirikul S, Raymond H, McFarland W . The Impact of Discrimination on the Mental Health of Trans*Female Youth and the Protective Effect of Parental Support. AIDS Behav. 2016; 20(10):2203-2211. PMC: 5025345. DOI: 10.1007/s10461-016-1409-7. View

16.

Campbell-Sills L, Kessler R, Ursano R, Sun X, Taylor C, Heeringa S . Predictive validity and correlates of self-assessed resilience among U.S. Army soldiers. Depress Anxiety. 2017; 35(2):122-131. PMC: 6013057. DOI: 10.1002/da.22694. View

17.

Price-Feeney M, Green A, Dorison S . Understanding the Mental Health of Transgender and Nonbinary Youth. J Adolesc Health. 2020; 66(6):684-690. DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.11.314. View

18.

Brennan J, Kuhns L, Johnson A, Belzer M, Wilson E, Garofalo R . Syndemic theory and HIV-related risk among young transgender women: the role of multiple, co-occurring health problems and social marginalization. Am J Public Health. 2012; 102(9):1751-7. PMC: 3416048. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300433. View

19.

Pinto R, Melendez R, Spector A . Male-to-Female Transgender Individuals Building Social Support and Capital From Within a Gender-Focused Network. J Gay Lesbian Soc Serv. 2010; 20(3):203-220. PMC: 2858872. DOI: 10.1080/10538720802235179. View

20.

Morgan Consoli M, Llamas J . The relationship between Mexican American cultural values and resilience among Mexican American college students: a mixed methods study. J Couns Psychol. 2013; 60(4):617-24. DOI: 10.1037/a0033998. View