Journal article
Descriptive intersectional analyses of mental health outcomes for transgender and non-binary people: a conditional inference tree approach
SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, 8804358
13 Jan 2026
PMID: 41530515
Abstract
Purpose While transgender and non-binary (TNB) people face stress and oppressions placing them at greater risk of depression and anxiety compared to cisgender people, little research has explored mental health differences between subgroups. Drawing on an intersectionality framework, which examines how oppressive forces interact to impact health, this study investigated intersecting factors associated with mental health outcomes among TNB people in Canada. Methods Data were from Trans PULSE Canada's 2019 community-based, national survey of health and wellbeing among TNB people. Respondents reported sociodemographic characteristics, sex work history, disability, neurodiversity, sense of belonging in TNB spaces, and mental health. We conducted three conditional inference tree analyses to determine the combinations of social factors that predict depression, anxiety, and thriving. Results Analyses included 2058 respondents (Mean age = 31.1, SD = 11.1). Reporting age 16-49 years, physical/visible disability, sex work history, and/or lower socioeconomic status generally predicted poorer mental health. Among respondents below the low-income threshold, a sense of belonging in TNB spaces was associated with more thriving, but only if they were not autistic. For individuals with physical/visible disability, a sense of belonging predicted greater thriving and less depression. Conclusion Results highlight intersecting social and structural factors associated with increased risk of poor mental health among specific groups of TNB people, including lower socioeconomic status and/or a physical/visible disability, or being < 50 with a history of sex work. Individuals with better mental health reported more belonging in TNB spaces, which may suggest that sense of belonging in TNB spaces is protective.
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Details
- Title
- Descriptive intersectional analyses of mental health outcomes for transgender and non-binary people: a conditional inference tree approach
- Creators
- Monica A. Ghabrial (Corresponding Author) - Algoma UniversityAyden I. Scheim - Western UniversityGreta R. Bauer - Western University
- Publication Details
- SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY, 8804358
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 14
- Grant note
- PJT-159690 / Canadian Institutes of Health Research; Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Urban Health Collaborative; Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:001661098900001
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105027581451
- Other Identifier
- 991022196566804721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Psychiatry