240458 Buffering effect of cultural and community identity on psychological wellbeing among API and Latina transgender women

Wednesday, November 2, 2011: 12:45 PM

Tooru Nemoto, PhD , Public Health Institute, Oakland, CA
Adam Leonard, MPH, MSW , Public Health Institute, Oakland, CA
Mariko Iwamoto, MA , Public Health Institute, Oakland, CA
Elnaz Eilkhani, MPH , Public Health Institute and San Francisco State University, Oakland, CA
Background: Transgender women of color are often exposed to transphobia, as well as racial discrimination, and are vulnerable to mental health problems. This study aimed to examine the buffering effect of cultural and transgender community identity on psychological wellbeing.

Methods: API (n=110) and Latina transgender women (n=110) with a history of sex work were recruited based on purposive sampling in San Francisco and were individually interviewed using a structured survey questionnaire. Measures included transphobia, cultural identity (culture of origin and U.S.), transgender community identity, and psychological wellbeing (depression and self-esteem).

Results: Latina participants had significantly higher levels of transphobia and depression (CES-D) and lower levels of self-esteem than APIs. APIs showed higher levels of identification with the transgender community, acculturation to the U.S. mainstream culture, and identification with their culture of origin. Participants who reported lower levels of transphobia, had positive identity with their culture of origin and the transgender community, and identified as female were less likely to have reported depressive symptoms. Latina participants, and those who currently engaged in sex work, reported higher levels of transphobia and lower levels of identification with their culture of origin and the transgender community showed significantly lower levels of self-esteem.

Conclusions: Exposure to transphobia had a strong negative effect on psychological wellbeing among Latina and API transgender women, but identification with the culture of origin and the transgender community buffered the effect. Future intervention programs can strengthen API and Latina identity and transgender community activities and provide coping strategies to deal with transphobia.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Explain the influence of transphobia on psychological wellbeing among API and Latina transgender women in relation to their cultural and transgender community identity. Discuss mental health promotion programs for API and Latina transgender women. Apply study findings to design mental health treatment and prevention programs for API and Latina transgender women.

Keywords: Culture, Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have more than 20 years experience conducting community-based substance abuse and HIV prevention studies for stigmatized and neglected populations, such as API MSM, Asian drug users, Asian female sex workers, and transgender people.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.