Graduate Student Colorado State University Fort Collins, Colorado, United States
Abstract Body Amidst the current landscape of law and politics affecting Transgender and Gender Expansive (TGE) communities (Tracking, 2023), there is a worrying increase of already present disparities faced by these communities including higher rates of discrimination, violence, houselessness, unemployment, and negative health outcomes (e.g., James et al., 2015). In the face of experiencing such identity-based discrimination and violence, some people may turn to activism (e.g., protesting, contacting representatives) as one way to cope with and make meaning of their experiences (Sostre et al., 2023). Indeed, one study found that LGBTQ+ students were more likely to engage in activism and advocacy following experiences of discrimination or violence (Goldberg et al., 2020; Singh, 2013). However, existing research on the relationship between activism and mental health shows mixed results, including a point in which activism may begin to negatively impact mental health and well being (e.g., Earnshaw et al., 2016; Gal & Hanley, 2020; Hope et al., 2018; Klar & Kasser, 2009). Therefore it is imperative for clinicians to understand the potential pathways that activism may impact mental health, such as through meaning-making.
The present study seeks to investigate such a potential for meaning-making to moderate a relationship between activism and mental health in TGE communities. Results from the 2015 United States Transgender Survey's (James et al., 2016) questions on political engagement will be presented to examine the relationship between activism and mental health in a large sample of TGE people (N=27,715). To test meaning-making as a potential pathway, moderation analyses from an on-going survey assessing activism orientation, political involvement, meaning-making, and psychological well-being in TGE communities will be presented. These results will be discussed in terms of their implications for working with TGE clients in the context of the Transgender Resilience and Intervention Model (Matsuno & Israel, 2018) and the potential for clinicians to help empower clients engaged in activism through meaning-making.
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