2025/07/28 by Cindi SturtzSreetharan, Kelsi Kuehn, Dee Jolly +10 · 1 citation
Health Professions · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Homelessness and Social Issues #LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy #Child Welfare and Adoption
paper · doi:10.1080/26895269.2025.2538738
Background Insights from the experiences of transgender and non-binary (TNB) individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns reveal various strategies to cope positively, practice self-care, and maintain well-being amidst challenges, stigma, and hardship.Methods Launched before and continuing through the first year of the pandemic, the Trans Resilience and Health study included monthly online data collection among a diverse sample (N = 158) of TNB people living in Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, and Tennessee. The broader study examined lived experience, resilience, and embodied stress within varied contexts. The current data are a subset of the project data, which entailed a year of monthly surveys (April 2020–March 2021) including questions about responding to COVID-19. Participants responded to this open-ended question: “During this time, what has been most supportive or beneficial to your well-being or your ability to cope with COVID-19 and its impacts on your life?”Results Written responses (n = 1143) revealed varied contributors to resilience including prior experience overcoming challenges, consciously limiting media exposure, spending time in nature, and connecting with others. A conceptual model demonstrates the coping strategies that occur within a broader sociopolitical context contributing to resilience, well-being, and thriving.Conclusions These findings make visible lived experiences of TNB people and strategies for building resilience while underscoring how challenges exact a heavy toll on this population. By detailing these experiences, we can utilize this knowledge to better support these communities in the face of varied forms of hardship, including sustained political targeting and stigma.