Impact of Social support on Coping Capacity of Transgender Youth and Young Adults in Education Institutions in Southern Thailand

Abstract

ABSTRACT This mixed-method study analysed the impact of social support on coping actions adopted by transgender youth and young adult students at education institutions in Southern Thailand (Provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat). Open-ended, semi-structured interviews were conducted with the aid of open-ended questions focussed on the value and nature of friendships, the different types of support received by their education institutions, and facilitative and avoidant coping actions adopted by the respondents. Content analysis was performed to identify the themes and sub-themes that emerged from the data analysis. The research concluded that the nature of social support offered to respondents by their education institutions seemed to have a significant effect on the coping actions taken by the respondents. Further, that their coping actions were both adaptive and maladaptive in dealing with the different ways in which those in their formal learning environment had related to them.