Latine Transgender/Gender Diverse Adolescents: Protective Factors Against Emotional Distress.

Abstract

Purpose: Latine transgender/gender diverse (TGD) adolescents may be at increased risk of emotional distress due to structural oppression affecting their intersecting nondominant identities. Multiple protective factors may buffer emotional distress among Latine TGD adolescents. We studied how these protective factors relate to emotional distress, comparing Latine with non-Latine TGD students. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of the 2019 Minnesota Student Survey, which included 3861 TGD and gender questioning (GQ) youth (10.9% Latine) in grades 8, 9, and 11 across Minnesota. We used multiple logistic regression with interaction terms to examine associations between protective factors (school connectedness, family connectedness, and internal assets) and emotional distress (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, self-harm, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt) between Latine TGD/GQ students and non-Latine TGD/GQ students. Results: There was a significantly higher rate of suicide attempts in Latine TGD/GQ students (36.2%) compared with non-Latine TGD/GQ students (26.3%, χ2 = 15.53, p < 0.001). In unadjusted models, school connectedness, family connectedness, and internal assets were associated with lower odds of all five indicators of emotional distress. In fully adjusted models, family connectedness and internal assets remained associated with significantly lower odds of all five indicators of emotional distress; these protective associations were similar across all TGD/GQ students regardless of Latine identity. Conclusion: Higher rates of suicide attempts in Latine TGD/GQ youth emphasize the need to better understand protective factors in youth with multiple nondominant social identities and identify programming that supports well-being. Family connectedness and internal assets can protect against emotional distress among both Latine and non-Latine TGD/GQ youth.