The Role of Gender Dysphoria, Stigma, Rejection and Discrimination in The Mental Health of Transgender Individuals: A Meta-Analysis

Background: The present meta-analysis aims to explore the role of gender Dysphoria, stigma, rejection and discrimination in the mental health of transgender individuals. Objectives: The primary major of this meta-analysis was to systematically review and synthesize existing research on the association between gender dysphoria, stigma, rejection, and discrimination and mental health outcomes in transgender individuals. Methods: Inclusion: samples of transgender individuals with gender Dysphoria, stigma, rejection and discrimination, suffered by mental health outcomes like anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts, involved individual studies with a minimum 50 participants. Ultimately 25 studies were included for meta-analysis by Google Scholar, PubMed, PsycINFO, Mendeley, CINAHL and JSTOR. Data was analyzed with considering effect size (mean difference, odds ratio), sub group analysis and heterogeneity. Results: The overall effect size was found 1.84, LCI and UCI estimated between 1.58 to 2.04, Standard Error (SE) = 0.0388, Q Statistic: 9.64 with degrees of freedom (df = 25 -1 = 24). Conclusion: The results in the meta-analysis provided a strong and evidence-based understanding of how gender dysphoria, stigma, rejection, and discrimination impact the mental health of transgender individuals. Also, by examining heterogeneity, the analysis discovered the observed effects are consistent across all the different studies.