(PS6-33) Minority Stress and Protective Factors in a Gender Minority Network Analysis

Abstract Text: Mental health in gender minority groups is often interpreted through the lens of the gender minority stress model. The focus lies on the experienced proximal (from inside the person) or distal (from the environment) stressors. The experience of stressors, happening due to a gender minority identity, can influence the development of mental health issues, for example social anxiety. Social anxiety is the fear of being judged negatively by others and can impact behaviors and social interactions of the person suffering. This study investigated two common stressors: internalized transphobia, which is negative feelings or thoughts a gender minority individual might have about their identity, and frequency of misgendering, which is the use of wrong names, pronouns, or titles by other people, in connection with fear of negative evaluation. It was hypothesized that internalized transphobia and frequency of misgendering will be connected to a person experiencing fear of negative evaluation.
Further, the study aimed to integrate possible protective factors such as social support and body appreciation and their connection to experienced stressors and social anxiety. It was hypothesized that the protective factors might have a negative connection to social anxiety and minority stressors.
As the main focus of gender minority research lies on negative aspects, the goal of the study was to investigate how stressors and protective factors interplay within gender minority identities.
N=650 gender minority individuals (aged 18-55, ± 8.39) reported on average one to five used labels for their gender identity: most common being nonbinary (n = 368), transgender male/female (male = 186, female =124), and genderqueer (n = 153). Individuals completed questionnaires measuring the stressors frequency of misgendering and internalized transphobia, the protective factors perceived social support and body appreciation, and social anxiety. Network analysis was conducted to estimate partial correlations (edges) between variables (nodes). Accuracy of edge weights was calculated using bootstrap 95% confidence intervals (CIs), the stability of strength centrality was assessed through correlation stability (CS) coefficients.
The CS coefficient indicated adequate stability of strength centrality. The 95% CIs around each edge weight was large, indicating caution in the interpretation. Centrality analysis revealed social anxiety and internalized transphobia to be the nodes with highest strength centrality. The network showed positive edges between all nodes, with association between social anxiety and internalized transphobia, internalized transphobia and frequency of misgendering, and body appreciation and social support being stronger than others.

The analysis produced a network with social anxiety and internalized transphobia showing centrality. The results indicate that interventions for gender minority individuals might benefit from a focus on internalized transphobia to improve social anxiety symptoms. Frequency of misgendering might be considerable when trying to improve experiences of internalized transphobia. Future research should use longitudinal data to investigate differences in experiences in gender minority individuals.