Jiwen Zhang Zoe, Zhang Fei, Hay Ming Lo Herman
Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
Department of Psychometrics, Mental Health Center Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
Int J Transgend Health. 2024 Mar 28;26(3):805-824. doi: 10.1080/26895269.2024.2333532. eCollection 2025.
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals report high rates of mistreatment in the form of interpersonal stigma. These experiences can negatively impact their mental health. However, few studies have explored this relationship within a Chinese context. This study aims to investigate the connection between various forms of interpersonal stigma and mental health among Chinese TGD individuals. It also seeks to understand the role of collective and personal protective factors in mitigating the effects of interpersonal stigma.
This study used explanatory sequential mixed methods, combining primary quantitative research with supplementary qualitative research. A total of 398 Chinese TGD individuals participated in an online questionnaire survey, with seven of these participants also taking part in semi-structured interviews.
Of the Chinese TGD participants, 48.7% reported experiencing mild or more severe depressive symptoms, while 42.2% of them reported a low level of well-being status. The interpersonal stigma was found to be positively associated with depression and negatively associated with well-being status. Among the examined protective factors, the interactions of community consciousness and identity pride with the interpersonal stigma aggravated the relationships between the interpersonal stigma and well-being status. The qualitative interviews confirmed the widespread presence of interpersonal stigma and provided additional insights into the exacerbating effects of community consciousness and identity pride.
This study highlighted the existence of pervasive interpersonal stigma and its negative impact on the mental health of Chinese TGD individuals. The community consciousness and identity pride should be questioned for the validity of acting as protective factors. Such findings provided evidence for further developing intervention programs and clinical instructions for healthcare providers.
跨性别者及性别多样化（TGD）个体报告称，人际污名形式的虐待发生率很高。这些经历会对他们的心理健康产生负面影响。然而，很少有研究在中国背景下探讨这种关系。本研究旨在调查中国TGD个体中各种人际污名形式与心理健康之间的联系。它还试图了解集体和个人保护因素在减轻人际污名影响方面的作用。
本研究采用解释性序列混合方法，将初步定量研究与补充定性研究相结合。共有398名中国TGD个体参与了在线问卷调查，其中7名参与者还参加了半结构化访谈。
在中国TGD参与者中，48.7%报告经历过轻度或更严重的抑郁症状，而42.2%报告幸福感水平较低。人际污名与抑郁呈正相关，与幸福感呈负相关。在所研究的保护因素中，社区意识和身份自豪感与人际污名的相互作用加剧了人际污名与幸福感之间的关系。定性访谈证实了人际污名的普遍存在，并提供了关于社区意识和身份自豪感加剧作用的更多见解。
本研究强调了普遍存在的人际污名及其对中国TGD个体心理健康的负面影响。社区意识和身份自豪感作为保护因素的有效性值得质疑。这些发现为进一步制定干预计划和为医疗保健提供者提供临床指导提供了证据。
