Examining relationships between bullying, social support, and mental health among transgender and other gender-diverse adolescents.

Abstract

The prevalence of poor mental health among adolescents is high and increasing. Poor mental health is disproportionately high among transgender and gender-diverse adolescents. This research seeks to understand potential risk factors and reasons for this disproportionality by examining the relationship between social experiences and mental health among gender-diverse youth. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data collected via student health surveys administered by the Communities that Care Coalition of Western Massachusetts in 2023 to n = 1,439 high-school students in Franklin County, Massachusetts. Transgender and gender-diverse adolescents reported significantly adjusted higher rates of poor mental health. Associations between gender identity and this disproportionate risk of poor mental health were strongly modified by experiences of bullying and social support. Addressing victimization and social support may help reduce these outcomes among transgender and gender-diverse youth.