Concerns about trans rights restrictions linked to anxiety and depression

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-08-23 01:00

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A study of nearly 800 transgender and nonbinary (trans) adults in the US state of Washington assessed depression and anxiety symptoms alongside awareness and concerns about the antitrans policy environment. People who were worried about their rights being taken away had a higher chance of depression and anxiety symptoms, while those who knew about current legislation to protect their rights had a lower chance of these symptoms. The authors say this this shows the need for continued efforts to protect and expand legal rights for healthcare access, and shows 'in a policy environment with increasing legislation aimed at eroding trans rights and access to care', increasing awareness of policies that protect access to healthcare could reduce distress.

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Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: University of Washington, USA

Funder: This study is sponsored by the University of Washington Center for AIDS Research and Behavioral Research Center for HIV under grants AI027757 and P30MH123248, respectively. Dr. Restar is supported by the Research Education Institute for Diverse Scholars Program at Yale University School of Public Health, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (grant R25MH087217), amfAR, the Foundation of AIDS Research, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Fellowship. Dr Gamarel was supported in part by the University of Michigan Population Studies Center (grant P2CHD041028). Dr Hughes is supported by the Yerby Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health. Dr Streed was partially supported through the American Heart Association career development grant (20CDA35320148), National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute career development grant (K01HL151902), and Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (grant 2022061). Dr Streed also received funding from the Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine Department of Medicine Career Investment Award used to fund statistical support for this study.

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