Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of transgender persons in India: Findings from an exploratory qualitative study
IntroductionTransgender persons in India, who are one of the most vulnerable groups, were particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased risk of COVID-19, challenges with continuing livelihood, uncertainty, and anxiety around the pandemic over pre-existing social discrimination and exclus...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Global Women's Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2023.1126946/full |
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| author | Harikeerthan Raghuram Sana Parakh Supraja Chidambaranathan Deepak Tugnawat Venu Pillai Sanjana Singh Satendra Singh Aqsa Shaikh Anant Bhan |
| author_facet | Harikeerthan Raghuram Sana Parakh Supraja Chidambaranathan Deepak Tugnawat Venu Pillai Sanjana Singh Satendra Singh Aqsa Shaikh Anant Bhan |
| author_sort | Harikeerthan Raghuram |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionTransgender persons in India, who are one of the most vulnerable groups, were particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased risk of COVID-19, challenges with continuing livelihood, uncertainty, and anxiety around the pandemic over pre-existing social discrimination and exclusion pose risk of a mental health impact as well. To investigate this further, this component of a larger study on experiences in healthcare of transgender persons in India during COVID-19 and looks into the question “How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact the mental health of transgender persons in India”.Methods22 In-depth interviews (IDI) and 6 focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted virtually and in-person with persons self-identifying as transgender or belonging to ethnocultural transgender communities from different parts of India. Community based participatory research approach was used by ensuring representation from the community in the research team and through a series of consultative workshops. Purposive sampling with snowballing was used. The IDIs and FGDs were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis.ResultsMental health of transgender persons were affected in the following ways. Firstly, COVID-19, its associated fear and suffering combined with pre-existing inaccessibility of healthcare and reduced access to mental health care affected their mental health. Secondly, unique social support needs of transgender persons were disrupted by pandemic linked restrictions. Thirdly, pre-existing vulnerabilities such as precarious employment and underlying stigma were exacerbated. Finally, gender dysphoria was a key mediating factor in the impact of COVID-19 on mental health with a negative and positive impact.ConclusionsThe study reiterates the need to make systemic changes to make mental healthcare and general healthcare services trans-inclusive while also recognizing the essential nature of gender affirmative services and the need to continue them even during emergencies and disaster situations. While this brings out how public health emergencies can exacerbate vulnerabilities, it also shows how the lived mental health experience of transgender person is intricately linked to the way work, travel and housing is structured in our society and therefore points to the structural nature of the linkage between mental health and gender. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:27:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-40e9236b187745bdb4329082abba1141 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2673-5059 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T00:27:32Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Global Women's Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-40e9236b187745bdb4329082abba11412023-03-15T05:49:55ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Global Women's Health2673-50592023-03-01410.3389/fgwh.2023.11269461126946Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of transgender persons in India: Findings from an exploratory qualitative studyHarikeerthan Raghuram0Sana Parakh1Supraja Chidambaranathan2Deepak Tugnawat3Venu Pillai4Sanjana Singh5Satendra Singh6Aqsa Shaikh7Anant Bhan8Bhopal Hub, Sangath, Bhopal, IndiaBhopal Hub, Sangath, Bhopal, IndiaBhopal Hub, Sangath, Bhopal, IndiaBhopal Hub, Sangath, Bhopal, IndiaBhopal Hub, Sangath, Bhopal, IndiaBhopal Hub, Sangath, Bhopal, IndiaDepartment of Physiology, University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi, New Delhi, IndiaDepartment of Community Medicine, Hamdard Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi, IndiaBhopal Hub, Sangath, Bhopal, IndiaIntroductionTransgender persons in India, who are one of the most vulnerable groups, were particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased risk of COVID-19, challenges with continuing livelihood, uncertainty, and anxiety around the pandemic over pre-existing social discrimination and exclusion pose risk of a mental health impact as well. To investigate this further, this component of a larger study on experiences in healthcare of transgender persons in India during COVID-19 and looks into the question “How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact the mental health of transgender persons in India”.Methods22 In-depth interviews (IDI) and 6 focus group discussions (FGD) were conducted virtually and in-person with persons self-identifying as transgender or belonging to ethnocultural transgender communities from different parts of India. Community based participatory research approach was used by ensuring representation from the community in the research team and through a series of consultative workshops. Purposive sampling with snowballing was used. The IDIs and FGDs were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis.ResultsMental health of transgender persons were affected in the following ways. Firstly, COVID-19, its associated fear and suffering combined with pre-existing inaccessibility of healthcare and reduced access to mental health care affected their mental health. Secondly, unique social support needs of transgender persons were disrupted by pandemic linked restrictions. Thirdly, pre-existing vulnerabilities such as precarious employment and underlying stigma were exacerbated. Finally, gender dysphoria was a key mediating factor in the impact of COVID-19 on mental health with a negative and positive impact.ConclusionsThe study reiterates the need to make systemic changes to make mental healthcare and general healthcare services trans-inclusive while also recognizing the essential nature of gender affirmative services and the need to continue them even during emergencies and disaster situations. While this brings out how public health emergencies can exacerbate vulnerabilities, it also shows how the lived mental health experience of transgender person is intricately linked to the way work, travel and housing is structured in our society and therefore points to the structural nature of the linkage between mental health and gender.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2023.1126946/fullCOVID-19mental healthtransgenderIndiaminority stress |
| spellingShingle | Harikeerthan Raghuram Sana Parakh Supraja Chidambaranathan Deepak Tugnawat Venu Pillai Sanjana Singh Satendra Singh Aqsa Shaikh Anant Bhan Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of transgender persons in India: Findings from an exploratory qualitative study Frontiers in Global Women's Health COVID-19 mental health transgender India minority stress |
| title | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of transgender persons in India: Findings from an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_full | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of transgender persons in India: Findings from an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_fullStr | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of transgender persons in India: Findings from an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of transgender persons in India: Findings from an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_short | Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of transgender persons in India: Findings from an exploratory qualitative study |
| title_sort | impact of the covid 19 pandemic on the mental health of transgender persons in india findings from an exploratory qualitative study |
| topic | COVID-19 mental health transgender India minority stress |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fgwh.2023.1126946/full |
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