A Trauma-Informed Exploration of the Mental Health and Community Support Experiences of Transgender and Gender-Expansive Adults

Abstract

This study applied a trauma-informed care (TIC) framework to explore transgender and gender-expansive (TGE) adults’ experiences with mental health and community supports. Data were drawn from the qualitative component of a more extensive mixed-methods study that aimed to assess TGE individuals’ support needs. Participants (N = 100) were recruited from online support groups using a combination of convenience and snowball sampling and invited to take an online survey. Open-response questions asked participants to describe their most positive experiences with a mental health provider and provide recommendations for improving the supportiveness of the communities to which they belonged. Participants’ responses were coded and sorted into five overarching themes: (a) trust and emotional safety, (b) environmental and physical safety, (c) choice and collaboration, (d) empowerment, and (e) cultural and gender issues. Finally, we discussed implications for improving practice and further developing a TIC model that meets the needs of this population.