Legal gender marker and name change is associated with lower negative emotional response to gender-based mistreatment and improve mental health outcomes among trans populations
Background: In recent years, Massachusetts (MA) and Rhode Island (RI) joined a growing list of states allowing residents to easily change the gender marker and name on government-identification (ID) documents. This was an important change for transgender and gender diverse (trans) residents, who fac...
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doaj-23ba0f88f1804fd68b85caaa685129292020-11-25T03:40:18ZengElsevierSSM: Population Health2352-82732020-08-0111100595Legal gender marker and name change is associated with lower negative emotional response to gender-based mistreatment and improve mental health outcomes among trans populationsArjee Restar0Harry Jin1Aaron Breslow2Sari L. Reisner3Matthew Mimiaga4Sean Cahill5Jaclyn M.W. Hughto6Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; Corresponding author. Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, 02903, USA.Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USAPRIME Center for Health Equity, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA; Health Equity Research Lab, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USAGeneral Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension Brigham and Women's Hospital Boston, MA, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Fenway Health, The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USADepartment of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Fenway Health, The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity, Brown University, Providence, RI, USAFenway Health, The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, USADepartment of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Fenway Health, The Fenway Institute, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Health Promotion and Health Equity, Brown University, Providence, RI, USABackground: In recent years, Massachusetts (MA) and Rhode Island (RI) joined a growing list of states allowing residents to easily change the gender marker and name on government-identification (ID) documents. This was an important change for transgender and gender diverse (trans) residents, who face frequent mistreatment and thus for whom legal gender affirmation is critical. Little is known about associations between legal gender affirmation and psychological outcomes. Methods: We examined associations between legal gender affirmation (i.e., having changed gender marker/name on neither, one, or both a passport and state ID), upsetting responses to gender-based mistreatment, and mental health outcomes in a sample of trans MA and RI residents. Analyses controlled for gender identity, age, race/ethnicity, education, employment, income, and insurance status. Findings: Legal gender affirmation was significantly associated with lower reports of depression, anxiety, somatization, global psychiatric distress, and upsetting responses to gender-based mistreatment. Conclusions: These data provide corroborate recent studies suggesting having pursued legal gender affirmation may be protective. Findings bolster calls to increase structural support for trans individuals, including enactment of state policies easing legal gender affirmation.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827320302329Legal nameLegal gender markerTransgenderMental health |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Arjee Restar Harry Jin Aaron Breslow Sari L. Reisner Matthew Mimiaga Sean Cahill Jaclyn M.W. Hughto |
spellingShingle |
Arjee Restar Harry Jin Aaron Breslow Sari L. Reisner Matthew Mimiaga Sean Cahill Jaclyn M.W. Hughto Legal gender marker and name change is associated with lower negative emotional response to gender-based mistreatment and improve mental health outcomes among trans populations SSM: Population Health Legal name Legal gender marker Transgender Mental health |
author_facet |
Arjee Restar Harry Jin Aaron Breslow Sari L. Reisner Matthew Mimiaga Sean Cahill Jaclyn M.W. Hughto |
author_sort |
Arjee Restar |
title |
Legal gender marker and name change is associated with lower negative emotional response to gender-based mistreatment and improve mental health outcomes among trans populations |
title_short |
Legal gender marker and name change is associated with lower negative emotional response to gender-based mistreatment and improve mental health outcomes among trans populations |
title_full |
Legal gender marker and name change is associated with lower negative emotional response to gender-based mistreatment and improve mental health outcomes among trans populations |
title_fullStr |
Legal gender marker and name change is associated with lower negative emotional response to gender-based mistreatment and improve mental health outcomes among trans populations |
title_full_unstemmed |
Legal gender marker and name change is associated with lower negative emotional response to gender-based mistreatment and improve mental health outcomes among trans populations |
title_sort |
legal gender marker and name change is associated with lower negative emotional response to gender-based mistreatment and improve mental health outcomes among trans populations |
publisher |
Elsevier |
series |
SSM: Population Health |
issn |
2352-8273 |
publishDate |
2020-08-01 |
description |
Background: In recent years, Massachusetts (MA) and Rhode Island (RI) joined a growing list of states allowing residents to easily change the gender marker and name on government-identification (ID) documents. This was an important change for transgender and gender diverse (trans) residents, who face frequent mistreatment and thus for whom legal gender affirmation is critical. Little is known about associations between legal gender affirmation and psychological outcomes. Methods: We examined associations between legal gender affirmation (i.e., having changed gender marker/name on neither, one, or both a passport and state ID), upsetting responses to gender-based mistreatment, and mental health outcomes in a sample of trans MA and RI residents. Analyses controlled for gender identity, age, race/ethnicity, education, employment, income, and insurance status. Findings: Legal gender affirmation was significantly associated with lower reports of depression, anxiety, somatization, global psychiatric distress, and upsetting responses to gender-based mistreatment. Conclusions: These data provide corroborate recent studies suggesting having pursued legal gender affirmation may be protective. Findings bolster calls to increase structural support for trans individuals, including enactment of state policies easing legal gender affirmation. |
topic |
Legal name Legal gender marker Transgender Mental health |
url |
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352827320302329 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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