(PS6-35) Navigating Contradiction and Change: Taoist Dialectical Coping and Psychological Resilience in a Sample of Transgender and Nonbinary Adults

Abstract Text: Transgender and gender non-binary (TGNB) individuals in the U.S. experience significant psychological burdens due to chronic stigma-based stress. Persistent exposure to enacted and internalized stigma reinforces rigid coping strategies, such as avoidance, hypervigilance, and over-identification with distressing thoughts, contributing to emotion dysregulation. In contrast, dialectical coping strategies (e.g., balancing acceptance and change through flexible thinking, distress tolerance, and adaptive problem-solving) promote resilience and adaptive emotion regulation. These principles align with the theory of change in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), an evidence-based intervention fostering distress tolerance and psychological flexibility. Cultural psychology conceptualizes dialectical coping as a cognitive regulatory style rooted in East Asian epistemologies (e.g., Taoism), emphasizing three core principles: (a) acceptance of contradiction, (b) recognition of change as constant and cyclical, and (c) a holistic, relational view of self, others, and the world. Though primarily studied in East Asian populations, Taoist dialectical principles extend beyond cultural boundaries through widely disseminated texts (e.g., Tao Te Ching) and integration into interventions like DBT. These principles may be particularly relevant for TGNB individuals, whose lived experiences involve navigating contradictions, embracing fluidity, and cultivating holistic self-definition within a cis-heteronormative society. This study examined the influence of Taoist beliefs and dialectical coping on intra-psychological risk factors in a trauma-exposed sample of transgender adults (N = 51; 68.6% assigned female at birth; 52.9% nonbinary; 44.8% White; Mage = 33.76). Participants completed self-report measures of Taoist beliefs, dialectical coping, emotion regulation difficulties, experiential avoidance, and internalized transgender oppression. Bootstrapped mediation models tested the indirect effect of Taoist beliefs on universal (i.e., emotion regulation difficulties, experiential avoidance) and TGNB-specific (i.e., self-doubt from trans oppression) intra-psychological risk through dialectical coping strategies. Results indicated that dialectical coping mediated the association between Taoist beliefs and all three intra-psychological risk processes (standardized indirect effect coefficient = -1.4 to -0.13, p < .05). Specifically, Taoist beliefs were associated with greater engagement in dialectical coping (β = 0.34 to 0.43, p < .02), which, in turn, was linked to reduced emotion regulation difficulties (β = -3.51, p = .03), lower experiential avoidance (β = -2.45, p = .03), and decreased self-doubt from internalized transgender oppression (β = -0.38 to -0.29, p < .05). Findings suggest that Taoist dialectical beliefs may provide an intrinsic framework for adaptive coping in TGNB individuals, reinforcing cognitive flexibility and distress tolerance as protective factors against minority stress. Future research should explore how these principles can inform culturally responsive, identity-affirming adaptations of DBT to enhance treatment engagement and resilience in TGNB populations.