Advancing Research on Minority Stress and Resilience in Trans Children and Adolescents in the 21st Century

Abstract

Transgender and nonbinary children and adolescents bear a disproportionate level of poor health, and adverse developmental and academic outcomes compared to their cisgender peers. In this article, I review evidence from recent research on minority stress and resilience among trans youth and advocate for two additional domains to be included when studying the experiences of trans youth from a minority stress perspective. I describe the variability across sexual‐minority and gender‐minority youth in experiences of minority stress across and within contexts. I advocate for explicit attention in minority stress models with gender‐minority youth to the domains of (a) intrapersonal and interpersonal gender dysphoria, and (b) access and use of affirmative and comprehensive health care.

The effects of gender identity change efforts on Black, Latinx, and White transgender and gender nonbinary adults: Implications for ethical clinical practice

“…At this time, AAMFT is out of step with the other major mental health and medical organizations in the United States. This leaves the field trailing, despite the clearly documented connections between accepting family relationships and the health and well‐being of transgender and nonbinary people (Ryan et al, 2018; Toomey, 2021; Toomey et al, 2018). AAMFT and the couple and family therapy field could lead innovations in systemic practice in this area and add clear statements to their Code of Ethics that bans the practice of SOCE and GICE in all circumstances.…”

Sexual and Gender Minority Youth’s Mental Health and Substance Use

“…Last, the minority stress framework has also been extended to be better applicable to gender minority people (Hendricks & Testa, 2012;Testa et al, 2015;Toomey, 2021). Whereas the minority stress framework was designed for sexual minority adults and extensions of this framework have also focused on sexual minority youth and sexual orientation or identity-related processes, there was a lack of knowledge about minority stress processes for gender minority people.…”

“…Newer gender minority stress frameworks propose that in addition to general stressors, gender minority people experience unique stressors related to their gender minority status, which are associated with poorer health. Stressors include external stigmatizing and prejudicial events, expected rejection, internalized stigma/internalized transphobia, and concealment (Hendricks & Testa, 2012;Testa et al, 2015;Toomey, 2021). In addition, a recent framework developed to understand the health of gender minority adolescents also introduced the concepts of inter-and intrapersonal gender dysphoria as unique stressors experienced by gender minority people (Toomey, 2021).…”

“…Stressors include external stigmatizing and prejudicial events, expected rejection, internalized stigma/internalized transphobia, and concealment (Hendricks & Testa, 2012;Testa et al, 2015;Toomey, 2021). In addition, a recent framework developed to understand the health of gender minority adolescents also introduced the concepts of inter-and intrapersonal gender dysphoria as unique stressors experienced by gender minority people (Toomey, 2021). Gender dysphoria is understood as distress related to the incongruence of one's sex assigned at birth and gender and their current identity/expression (Galupo et al, 2020).…”

“…Gender dysphoria is understood as distress related to the incongruence of one's sex assigned at birth and gender and their current identity/expression (Galupo et al, 2020). The emotional distress caused by the incongruence of sex assigned at birth and gender identity/expression is referred to as intrapersonal gender dysphoria and the non-affirmation of one's gender identity by others across contexts as interpersonal gender dysphoria (Toomey, 2021).…”