Dataset Information

Mapping gender transition sentiment patterns via social media data: toward decreasing transgender mental health disparities.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:Transgender people face substantial mental health disparities, and this population's emotional well-being can be particularly volatile during gender transition. Understanding gender transition sentiment patterns can positively impact transgender people by enabling them to anticipate, and put support in place for, particularly difficult time periods. Yet, tracking sentiment over time throughout gender transition is challenging using traditional research methods. This study's objective was to use social media data to understand average gender transition sentiment patterns. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Computational sentiment analysis and statistics were used to analyze 41 066 posts from 240 Tumblr transition blogs (online spaces where transgender people document gender transitions) to understand sentiment patterns over time and quantify relationships between transgender identity disclosures, sentiment, and social support. RESULTS:Findings suggest that sentiment increases over time on average throughout gender transition, particularly when people receive supportive responses to transgender identity disclosures. However, after disclosures to family members, people experienced temporary increased negative sentiment, followed by increased positive sentiment in the long term. After transgender identity disclosures on Facebook, an important means of mass disclosure, those with supportive networks experienced increased positive sentiment. CONCLUSIONS:With foreknowledge of sentiment patterns likely to occur during gender transition, transgender people and their mental healthcare professionals can prepare with proper support in place throughout the gender transition process. Social media are a novel data source for understanding transgender people's sentiment patterns, which can help reduce mental health disparities for this marginalized population during a particularly difficult time.

SUBMITTER: Haimson OL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6696505 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Mapping gender transition sentiment patterns via social media data: toward decreasing transgender mental health disparities.

Haimson Oliver L OL

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA 20190801 8-9

<h4>Objective</h4>Transgender people face substantial mental health disparities, and this population's emotional well-being can be particularly volatile during gender transition. Understanding gender transition sentiment patterns can positively impact transgender people by enabling them to anticipate, and put support in place for, particularly difficult time periods. Yet, tracking sentiment over time throughout gender transition is challenging using traditional research methods. This study's obj ...[more]

PMID: 31120498

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Project description:IntroductionWithin gender-diverse populations, gender-affirming changes in gender on record may improve mental or behavioral health. This study uses claims data to investigate whether sex assigned at birth modifies the association between change in gender on record and mental or behavioral health.MethodsAdult Oregon Medicaid beneficiaries with gender identity-related diagnoses and enrolled during 2010-2019 were included. Sex assigned at birth was inferred from medical and pharmacy claims and was categorized as assigned female, assigned male, or unknown sex assigned at birth. Self-reported gender ascertained at initial enrollment differing from sex assigned at birth indicated a change in gender on record. Multivariable logistic regression estimated the association between change in gender on record and mental (anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, post-traumatic stress disorder) or behavioral (alcohol, substance, or tobacco use disorders) health. Analyses were conducted in February 2021.ResultsThis study included 2,940 transgender and nonbinary adults. Of the 1,451 self-reporting female gender and 1,489 self-reporting male gender, 449 (30.9%) were assigned male at birth, and 303 (20.3%) were assigned female at birth, classified as changing their gender on record. Predicted probability of mental or behavioral conditions was significantly lower in those who changed their gender on record. Sex assigned at birth modified the association with mental health: assigned female at birth reporting female gender had the highest burdens, followed by assigned male at birth reporting male. Secondary analyses using a modified change in gender definition or alternative sex assigned at birth inference method found similar trends.ConclusionsOregon Medicaid gender-diverse beneficiaries who changed their gender on record had a meaningfully lower probability of mental and behavioral health conditions. Those assigned female at birth reporting female gender had the highest burdens.

Project description:ImportanceTransgender and nonbinary (TNB) youths are disproportionately burdened by poor mental health outcomes owing to decreased social support and increased stigma and discrimination. Although gender-affirming care is associated with decreased long-term adverse mental health outcomes among these youths, less is known about its association with mental health immediately after initiation of care.ObjectiveTo investigate changes in mental health over the first year of receiving gender-affirming care and whether initiation of puberty blockers (PBs) and gender-affirming hormones (GAHs) was associated with changes in depression, anxiety, and suicidality.Design, setting, and participantsThis prospective observational cohort study was conducted at an urban multidisciplinary gender clinic among TNB adolescents and young adults seeking gender-affirming care from August 2017 to June 2018. Data were analyzed from August 2020 through November 2021.ExposuresTime since enrollment and receipt of PBs or GAHs.Main outcomes and measuresMental health outcomes of interest were assessed via the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scales, which were dichotomized into measures of moderate or severe depression and anxiety (ie, scores ≥10), respectively. Any self-report of self-harm or suicidal thoughts over the previous 2 weeks was assessed using PHQ-9 question 9. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess change from baseline in each outcome at 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up. Bivariate and multivariable logistic models were estimated to examine temporal trends and investigate associations between receipt of PBs or GAHs and each outcome.ResultsAmong 104 youths aged 13 to 20 years (mean [SD] age, 15.8 [1.6] years) who participated in the study, there were 63 transmasculine individuals (60.6%), 27 transfeminine individuals (26.0%), 10 nonbinary or gender fluid individuals (9.6%), and 4 youths who responded "I don't know" or did not respond to the gender identity question (3.8%). At baseline, 59 individuals (56.7%) had moderate to severe depression, 52 individuals (50.0%) had moderate to severe anxiety, and 45 individuals (43.3%) reported self-harm or suicidal thoughts. By the end of the study, 69 youths (66.3%) had received PBs, GAHs, or both interventions, while 35 youths had not received either intervention (33.7%). After adjustment for temporal trends and potential confounders, we observed 60% lower odds of depression (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.40; 95% CI, 0.17-0.95) and 73% lower odds of suicidality (aOR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.11-0.65) among youths who had initiated PBs or GAHs compared with youths who had not. There was no association between PBs or GAHs and anxiety (aOR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.41, 2.51).Conclusions and relevanceThis study found that gender-affirming medical interventions were associated with lower odds of depression and suicidality over 12 months. These data add to existing evidence suggesting that gender-affirming care may be associated with improved well-being among TNB youths over a short period, which is important given mental health disparities experienced by this population, particularly the high levels of self-harm and suicide.

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Dataset Information

Mapping gender transition sentiment patterns via social media data: toward decreasing transgender mental health disparities.

Publications

Mapping gender transition sentiment patterns via social media data: toward decreasing transgender mental health disparities.

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