Body Image of Different Gender Identities Carriers: Empirical Study

Background. Historically, the status of transgender identity in the classification of mental disorders is ambiguous and is conditioned by sociocultural factors that influence its perception. Recently, it has been seen as a variation of the norm, which is not a psychopathology, but is stigmatized. A reflection of the reconsidering of transgender identity was the development of ICD-11, the application of which requires research. .

Objective of the research is to study differences in the experience of distress associated with body image and gender identity.

Sample. The study included 256 respondents (119 with a masculine identity, 61 with a feminine identity, and 76 with a nonbinary identity). Age 21,6±6,4 years, range — 12–56 years. The sample is geographically, economically and ethnically diverse.

Methods. To study the contribution of socio-demographic characteristics to the experience of distress was explored using the χ2 test with a significance level of p ≤ 0.05. The use of qualitative analysis of content made it possible to highlight the key problems they faced.

Results. Many socio-demographic characteristics are associated with experienced distress, which is not specific. It is associated both with the bodily structures that determine it and with discrimination that affects the respondents. Most of the respondents faced micro-aggression (insults, incorrect use of pronouns), physical and psychological violence. To minimize distress, the respondents resorted to practices consistent with their gender identity and to wearing appropriate clothing.

Conclusion. Experience of distress among carriers of macro- and micro-identities has been studied. The results of the study will be practical in clinical-psychological practice where transgender and nonbinary identities are often pathologized.

Acknowledgements. The author thanks the assistant of the Department of Health Psychology and Neuropsychology of KSMU Nilufer Majid Kizi Khakhutadze for help in developing the questionnaire and to the reviewers, whose comments made it possible to improve the manuscript.

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