Experiences of transmasculine spectrum people who report nonsuicidal self-injury: A qualitative investigation.

Abstract

Transgender populations experience mental and physical health disparities compared to nontransgender populations, including nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI). Guided by the minority stress theory and Nock's model of NSSI, this study explored perspectives of transmasculine spectrum people (i.e., people with a gender identity that is man, male, transgender man, genderqueer, or nonbinary and who were assigned female at birth) who engage in NSSI. Qualitative interviews were conducted with transmasculine spectrum people ( = 18) who reported a history of NSSI. Their mean age was 24.9 years old ( = 5.43, range = 17-38). Participants reported that NSSI was influenced by a variety of factors including stress from gender nonconformity in childhood and adolescence. Stigma related to minority status and identity as well as proximal minority stress processes of concealment and expectations of rejection were identified as contributing to NSSI. Transgender identity development tasks such as coming out and identity exploration also appeared to affect NSSI. Finding a community of peers who engage in NSSI was helpful in mitigating social isolation, but at times reinforced NSSI. We discuss clinical implications at the individual and family levels. Interventions to reduce NSSI among transmasculine-spectrum people should include facilitating connections with gender minority peers and providing individual support and family interventions to facilitate transgender identity development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Stigma, gender dysphoria, and nonsuicidal self-injury in a community sample of transgender individuals

“…We set out to examine associations between stigma and NSSI in the last year, and tested resilience factors and identity-related variables that emerged from formative, qualitative research (Jackman et al, 2018). The qualitative study revealed that among transmasculine spectrum people who reported self-injury, in addition to stigma at various levels, stressors related to transgender identity development were also important for understanding vulnerability and resilience to NSSI.…”

The interpersonal processes of non‐suicidal self‐injury: A systematic review and meta‐synthesis

“…Therefore, it is argued that being in a disempowered position can make it harder to have control or to communicate, which can consequently lead to NSSI. This finding has significant implications for understanding NSSI within marginalized populations, such as those within the LGBTQ+ community, who are at higher risk of engaging in NSSI (Jackman et␣al., 2018; Taylor, Dhingra, Dickson, & McDermott, 2018). Future research would be beneficial in exploring specific links between the kinds of challenging interpersonal experiences and unmet interpersonal needs, and the way in which NSSI is utilized as a substitutive coping strategy, both in a broad sense but also within certain more affected populations.…”

“…And then nobody is listening to me, and so I just started cutting. Power, Brown, and Usher (2013;p.199) This was an experience for some LGBTQ+ participants who saw self-injury as an alternative when faced with a lack of community or support (Jackman, Edgar, Ling, Honig, & Bockting, 2018). The participants convey a sense of not perceiving themselves to matter in the minds of others, or to have given up on them.…”

“…One participant described reactions of his peers in middle school to seeing self inflicted cuts on his forearm: "I just remember I liked the feeling of my friends like taking care of me and like putting like band-aids on stuff like that". Jackman et al (2018;p. 591) Notably, a number of studies highlighted how this function of NSSI was apparent within a context where participants felt otherwise unable to get these needs met through other means, for example feeling unable to otherwise ask for help, or help not otherwise being available.…”

“…455) Self-injury also provided participants with a means of managing or expressing difficulties and feelings when they felt they could not or did not want to communicate these with others. An example of this was for LGBTQ+ participants where a lack of acceptance by others of their sexuality created a barrier to talking to others about their experiences for fear of damaging these relationships (Jackman et al, 2018).…”