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Rural living environment predicts social anxiety in transgender and gender nonconforming individuals across Canada and the United States.
- Source :
-
Journal of anxiety disorders [J Anxiety Disord] 2019 Aug; Vol. 66, pp. 102116. Date of Electronic Publication: 2019 Jul 20. - Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals frequently confront discrimination, rejection, and violence. Such experiences may put TGNC individuals at risk for minority stress and associated psychiatric symptoms. Protective factors like social support, pride in one's gender identity, or connectedness to similar others may make TGNC individuals less vulnerable to psychiatric symptoms, and the presence of risk and protective factors may vary depending on living environment. This study examined the relationship of living environment (urban vs. suburban vs. small-town/rural) to social anxiety (SA) in a sample of 902 TGNC individuals who participated in the Trans Health Survey. Analysis of variance revealed a significant difference in SA across living environments. Those living in small-town/rural environments reported significantly higher levels of SA compared to those living in urban environments. There was a trend-level difference in SA in suburban compared to urban environments. Linear regression analyses revealed that living environment significantly moderated the relationship between social support and SA. Higher social support was more protective against elevated SA in urban and suburban than in small-town/rural environments. This study is the first to demonstrate the experience of elevated SA among TGNC individuals living in rural environments. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.<br /> (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Adult
Anxiety epidemiology
Anxiety psychology
Canada epidemiology
Female
Humans
Male
Social Support
United States epidemiology
Phobia, Social epidemiology
Phobia, Social psychology
Rural Population statistics & numerical data
Sexual and Gender Minorities psychology
Sexual and Gender Minorities statistics & numerical data
Transgender Persons psychology
Transgender Persons statistics & numerical data
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1873-7897
- Volume :
- 66
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of anxiety disorders
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 31357038
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2019.102116