Transgender boys were among those at the highest prevalence for compromised mental health and peer-based in-person victimization.
This is according to a study – “Examining Mental Health and Bullying Concerns at the Intersection of Sexuality, Gender, Race, and Ethnicity Among a National Sample of Sexual and Gender Diverse Youth” was done by Ryan J. Watson, Antonia E. Caba, Samantha E. Lawrence, et al – that appeared in LGBT Health.
The researchers noted that most studies that look at the health experiences of sexual and gender diverse youth (SGDY) are limited in the ability to apply an intersectional framework due to small sample sizes and limitations in analytic methods that only analyze the independent contribution of social identities. To address this gap, this study explored the well-being of youth at the intersection of ethnic, racial, sexual, and gender identities in relation to mental health and bullying.
The researchers used data from a US national survey of SGDY aged 13–18 years, collected in 2022 (N = 12,822). Exhaustive Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection analysis identified intersectional social positions bearing the greatest burden of negative health-related experiences (depression, anxiety, and past 30-day in-person victimization).
The researchers found that:
- Transgender boys were among those at the highest prevalence for compromised mental health and peer-based in-person victimization
- Although the primary distinguishing factor was transgender identity for depression and anxiety, there were no racial/ethnic distinctions.
- Asian cisgender and transgender girl SGDY shared the lowest burden of peer-based in-person victimization in school.
The findings “suggest a need for scholars, health professionals, and other stakeholders to better understand the mechanisms that drive negative health experiences and in-person victimization experiences at the intersections of sexual, gender, racial, and ethnic identities,” the researchers stressed.
