BUZZ
Solutions include ‘structural interventions that dismantle transphobic and discriminatory’ practices
A recent study by researchers at Toronto Metropolitan University claims “societal stress” leads “gender-diverse” — trans and non-binary individuals — to imbibe.
The study, titled “An ecological momentary assessment study of predictors for alcohol outcomes in transgender and gender diverse youth,” was published earlier this month in the journal Alcohol: Clinical & Experimental Research, according to U.S. News and World Report.
The results come via 40 interviews with transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals aged 19-29 who were “tracked” for three weeks.
The report notes those “whose gender identity differs from their birth sex drink more alcohol and engage in more hazardous drinking” than those who conform to basic biology.
“[O]n days or moments when transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth experience increased gender minority stressors,” the study says, “they also report increased alcohol use, alcohol craving, and psychological distress, as well as coping motives.”
“Gender minority stressors” include victimization and discrimination (“external distal processes of stressors”) and internalized transphobia (“proximal processes”).
“Normative adolescent developmental processes” (aka puberty) can be “particularly impactful” on already-stressed out TGD youth.
Psychology professor Sarah Dermody, who specializes in “substance use disorder risk and treatment” and “sexual and gender minority health,” said those stressors are “also related to alcohol-related risk factors, such as psychological distress and negative affect, coping drinking motives, and alcohol craving.”
On average, the participants drank on six of the 21 days, an average of three drinks per occasion, results show. They reported feeling gender-minority stress on 10 of the 21 days.
On days of relatively high stress, participants reported increased drinking. However, they didn’t suffer more alcohol-related harms like blackouts, assaults or risky sex, results show.
“This suggests that gender minority stressors may be more closely associated with TGD youth’s daily alcohol intake than harms at the daily level,” researchers wrote. “Stress-related alcohol-related harms may unfold over larger periods of time than at the daily level.”
Gender minority people with relatively high resilience — due to community connection and pride — tended to report less alcohol use and drinking to cope.
The study concludes in part by noting “pervasive” day-to-day stress faced by TGD youth can be thwarted by “implementing structural interventions that dismantle transphobic and discriminatory policies and practices.”
MORE: Old Dominion gets grant of almost $1 million to study lesbian couple drinking habits
IMAGE CAPTION & CREDIT: Trans-female Dylan Mulvaney and cans of Bud Light; Newsmax/X
