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Cited by 72LGBTQ Health, Identity, and PolicyHIV/AIDS Research and InterventionsMental Health Treatment and Access

Stigmatization and Mental Health in a Diverse Sample of Transgender Women

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Yang, Mei-Fen, Manning, David, van den Berg, Jacob J., Operario, Don·2015·LGBT Health
DOI 10.1089/lgbt.2014.0106PMC PMC4716648
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Abstract

PURPOSE: Previous research indicates elevated risk for psychological distress in sexual and gender minority populations, and some research suggests that stigma contributes to elevated psychological distress among members of these groups. This study examined the hypothesis that exposure to transgender-related stigma (TRS) is associated with both higher levels of depression and anxiety among transgender women. METHODS: We analyzed data from a diverse sample of 191 adult transgender women living or working in the San Francisco Bay area who were recruited using purposive sampling methods to participate in a cross-sectional survey, which included measures of stigmatization, depression, and anxiety. RESULTS: Higher levels of exposure to TRS were independently associated with higher levels of depression (β=0.31, P<.001) and anxiety (β=39, P<.001), adjusting for self-reported health and sociodemographic co-variates. Associations between stigmatization, depression, and anxiety were not moderated by participants' age or race/ethnicity. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest a need for counseling interventions to address the role of stigmatization as a factor potentially contributing to psychological distress among transgender women. This research further highlights the need to develop a stronger evidence base on effective counseling approaches to improve the mental health of transgender women.

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  • A variety of factors inform the prevalence of mental illness among transgender FSW, including violence exposure, stigma, and substance use.

    “A variety of factors inform the prevalence of mental illness among transgender FSW, including violence exposure, stigma, and substance use.2–4,6–11”

    From Mindfulness, Mental Health, and Violence Exposure Among Transgender Female Sex Workers Living with HIV in the Dominican Republic. (2026) · cites this paper as [6]

    The Results report associations of stigmatization and recent alcohol intoxication with depression and anxiety. The Introduction also reports prior associations between violence or abuse and depression in transgender women. However, the Methods did not restrict the sample to transgender female sex workers, and the Discussion says this study did not measure violence exposure; it therefore does not establish these factors specifically for that subgroup. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Yang, M.-F., Manning, D., van den Berg, J. J., & Operario, D.
Affiliations
  • Brown University (US)
  • Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
Corresponding author
Operario, Don
ORCID
Venue
LGBT Health
Publisher
SAGE Publications
Published
2015-12
Volume
2
Issue
4
Pages
306-312
ISSN
  • 2325-8292 (ISSN-L)
  • 2325-8306
DOI
10.1089/lgbt.2014.0106
PMC
PMC4716648
OpenAlex
W1695930612
Cited by
72
References
5
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 15 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 4
FWCI
7.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
www.liebertpub.com/nv/resources-tools/text-and-data-mining-policy/121/ (tdm)
Locations
  • LGBT Health (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (U24AA022000)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (R34MH093232)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R01DA018621)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R25HD045810)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › HIV/AIDS Research and Interventions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Mental Health Treatment and Access
Keywords
transgender women, stigmatization, depression, anxiety, psychological distress, mental health, sexual and gender minorities, counseling intervention
MeSH terms
Adult, Age Factors, Anxiety, Depression, Ethnicity, Female, Health Status, Humans, Male, Mental Health, Middle Aged, Socioeconomic Factors, Stereotyping, United States, Health Behavior, Racial Groups, Transgender Persons

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