Poster #98 - Baseline Perceived Safety and Well-Being Comparing Transgender Youth from States with and without Anti-Trans Legislation

• In Event: Poster Session 20

Abstract

There has been a recent proliferation of legislation proposed in the United States to restrict the rights of transgender youth in various aspects of life (e.g., access to standard of care gender-affirming healthcare, sports restrictions, legal documentation restrictions). Initial evidence suggests the proposal of trans-restrictive policies is linked to negative mental health outcomes (The Trevor Project, 2022). This current study examines baseline profiles of perceived safety and well-being of transgender youth comparing across states with and without bans or proposed transgender-related bans.

We reviewed proposed and passed state-level legislation that would directly affect transgender youth. We developed a 4-level state policy index reflecting an overall level of each state’s restriction of transgender youth rights (see Table 1, Figure 1). Participants were N=58 transgender youth ages 11-16 (Mage=14.74, SDage=1.51) living in the US, with balanced enrollment across the four levels of state-based restriction. Transgender youth completed reports at their baseline appointments for a longitudinal study: Perception of safety (questions related to feeling safe where they live as a transgender person) and subjective well-being (Cantril scale) were examined.

There were group-based differences in youths’ perception of safety as a transgender person living in their state, with youth in more restrictive states reporting a lower level of perceived safety than youth in less restrictive states (H(3)=14.18, p=.003). Bonferroni corrected post-hoc tests identified significant differences between the least restrictive group (i.e., Group 4) and the most restrictive groups (i.e., Group 1 and Group 2). This perception of safety within their state approached a significant correlation with well-being (r=.239, p=.071). There were no group-based differences in youths’ perception of safety as a transgender person in their country or local area (e.g., city), but these perceptions (county, and local region) were correlated to well-being (respectively, r=.291, p=.027; r=.512, p<.001). Subjective wellbeing did not differ between the groups (F(3,54)=.300, p=.825).

This study presents the baseline measurement of a longitudinal study of trans youth across states with and without proposed bans. Because much of this legislation is new, this study captures the immediate reactions of youth; many of these restrictions were active in the legislative process at the time of study participation. Youth in states with passed bans have very recently or may soon experience widespread loss of access to gender-affirming care and the effects of other regulations (e.g., loss of the ability to participate in sports). It will be important to measure the effects of these laws on well-being over time as bans are enacted and to measure their impacts as experienced by youth.

Authors

• Abigail L Fischbach, Children’s National Hospital
  Presenting Author

• Lucy S. McClellan, Children’s National Hospital

• Anna I. R. van der Miesen, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

• John F. Strang, Children's National Hospital