The buffer of resilience in the relations of gender-related discrimination, rejection, and victimization with depression among Chinese transgender and gender non-conforming individuals

Background: According to the minority stress theory, the minority stressors of gender-related discrimination, rejection, and victimization will increase depression in the transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) population. However, few studies focused on these relations in the context of mainland China, and the positive perspective of their resilience still remained unstudied. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 361 TGNC individuals through the online community of TGNC people. The participants were involved in this study by measuring their experiences of gender-related discrimination, rejection, victimization, resilience, and depression. The SPSS and PROCESS were used to assess the relations of the studied variables. Results: High rates of gender-related discrimination, rejection, and victimization were reported by TGNC participants in this study (80.1%, 98.9%, and 77.0% accordingly). The participants who had experienced gender-related discrimination and victimization showed a significantly higher level of depression than those who never experience such unfair treatments. Besides, gender-related discrimination and resilience significantly contributed to the variance of the depression (R² adjusted=0.344, F=21.674, p<0.01), and their resilience was found to play a moderating role between discrimination and depression. Limitations: A longitudinal study may need to examine the causal effects, and the limitations of the online data should be noted. Conclusions: The Chinese TGNC people are living in a relatively unfavorable environment with experiencing high rates of gender-related unfair treatments, which can be detrimental to their mental health status. However, their resilience can be a buffer for them in facing adversity. Intervention and educational programs might be developed accordingly.