Coming out as trans: parental support mediates mental health effects.

OBJECTIVE

The present study explores how coming out to parents - in terms of both status (being out vs. not) and, if out, experience (continuum from rejection to acceptance) - affects trans people's mental health.

METHOD

Participants were 509 young adult trans individuals from Germany (community-based sample; 50% gender binary, 50% nonbinary; 16-35 years). The cross-sectional online study used standardized measures of coming out response, social support, and mental health.

RESULTS

More participants were out to their mother than their father, but mothers did not respond with more acceptance. At the bivariate level, coming out experience, but not coming out status, was positively related to mental health. At the multivariate level, parental support mediated the association between both coming out variables and mental health. That is, trans people who were out to their parents and, if out, had a positive coming out experience received more parental support, which, in turn, was conducive to their mental health. There were no substantial differences between maternal and paternal effects, and effect sizes were equal for coming out status and experience.

CONCLUSION

This study confirmed the crucial role that parents play when it comes to their child's coming out as trans - by accepting their child's gender identity early on and providing them with support.