Mental health, minority stress and discrimination against transgender people: a cross-sectional survey in Russia

• Published in: International review of psychiatry (Abingdon, England) Vol. 35; no. 3-4; pp. 331 - 338
• Main Authors: Chumakov, Egor M., Ashenbrenner, Yulia V., Petrova, Nataliia N., Ventriglio, Antonio, Azarova, Larisa A., Limankin, Oleg V.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 19-05-2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Discrimination; Health care policy; Health needs; Help seeking behavior; Humans; Intimacy; Medical personnel; Mental disorders; Mental Health; Mental health care; Mental health professionals; Mental health services; Minority Health; minority stress; Off-label; Polls & surveys; Psychological distress; Respondents; Sex discrimination; Social life & customs; Social Stigma; Stigma; Stress; transgender people; Transgender persons; Transgender Persons - psychology; Young Adult; Russia; minority stress; transgender people; discrimination; mental health; Health care policy
• ISSN: 0954-0261; 1369-1627
• DOI: 10.1080/09540261.2023.2182668

Mental health needs of transgender people in Russia remain unmet and stigmatised as in many other countries around the globe. The aim of this study was to assess the stressors and perceived need for mental health care among transgender people in Russia. A structured online survey was conducted in November 2019. A total of 588 transgender adults (mean age: 24.0 ± 6.7) was included in the final analysis. An overwhelming majority of respondents (95.1%) reported stress in their lives. Financial burden (73.5%), relationships with relatives (59.4%), and intimate relationships (37.9%) were among the most frequently reported sources of stress. Most of respondents (71.8%) indicated that the psychological distress they perceived interfered with their ability to lead a fulfilling social life. More than half of the respondents (52.4%) had visited a mental health professional prior to their gender transition. Virtually half of them (49%) reported problems related to seeking mental healthcare attributed to stigma. Over one third (37.8%) reported taking non-prescription or off-label medications to improve their well-being or mood. Our study confirmed high rates of psychiatric problems in this vulnerable group and problems in help-seeking. The article also discusses the challenges of providing psychiatric care to transgender people in Russia.