Abstract
Purpose: This study assessed public bathroom-related stressors and examined their association with depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts among transgender individuals in South Korea. Methods: We analyzed data from a nationwide cross-sectional survey of 557 South Korean transgender adults (age range: 19-60 years) conducted in October 2020. Participants were asked nine yes/no questions about whether they have ever experienced public bathroom-related stressors within the last 12 months. The responses were classified into three categories: "never experienced,""avoidant behaviors alone,"and "victimization experiences."Results: The proportions of participants who reported "avoidant behaviors alone"and "victimization experiences"related to public bathroom use were 47.0% and 23.0%, respectively. Past-week prevalence of depressive symptoms was 70.7%, and past 12-month prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts was 63.0% and 19.8%, respectively. Compared with participants who "never experienced"public bathroom-related stressors, the prevalence of depressive symptoms was statistically significantly higher among those who reported "avoidant behaviors alone"(adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR] = 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.07-1.40) and "victimization experiences"(aPR = 1.18; 95% CI = 1.01-1.38), after adjusting for covariates, including gender perception by others. In the same adjusted model, however, no significant associations of public bathroom-related stressors with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts were observed. Conclusions: Given these findings showing that public bathroom-related stressors may negatively influence transgender adults' depressive symptoms, efforts are necessary to ensure their safe access to public bathrooms in South Korea. Furthermore, policy-level interventions are needed to eliminate stigma against transgender individuals, given that public bathroom-related stressors could be considered an indicator of broader anti-transgender stigma.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 486-493 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | LGBT Health |
Volume | 8 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Oct 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study was partially supported by the National Human Rights Commission of the Republic of Korea. This study was also supported by the Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2020R1A6A3A13060799).
Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright 2021, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2021.
Keywords
- South Korea
- depressive symptoms
- gender minority
- public bathrooms
- suicidality
- transgender individuals
PubMed: MeSH publication types
- Journal Article
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't