Invalidation Experiences Among Non-Binary Adolescents

Abstract

Mental health disparities among transgender adolescents are well documented and have generally been attributed to minority stress. However, significantly less is known about the minority stress experiences of non-binary adolescents or those who do not identify as exclusively male or female. This study qualitatively explored the unique ways that non-binary adolescents experience minority stress and how it influences their mental health and well-being. Lifeline methodology and photo elicitation were used to interview 14 ethnically diverse non-binary adolescents between the ages of 16 and 20, residing in New York City (NYC) and the San Franscicso Bay Area (SFBA). We present participants’ experiences using a novel construct of invalidation, defined as the refusal to accept one’s identity as real or true. Our findings indicate that invalidation is conceptually distinct from the established minority stressor of “non-affirmation.” Non-binary adolescents experienced myriad forms of invalidation within multiple social contexts, which contributed to negative affective and cognitive processes, including confusion, self-doubt, rumination, and internalized shame. For many participants, the cumulative stressors related to invalidation contributed to poor mental health outcomes. Data from this study suggest that identity invalidation is a unique form of minority stress that may especially affect non-binary individuals, with significant implications for their social and emotional well-being.

Funding and Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a student research fellowship from the University of California, Berkeley Innovations for Youth (i4Y) and with support from Project AFFIRM (R01-HD79603, Walter O. Bockting, Principal Investigator). The authors would like to acknowledge Colette Auerswald, Paul Sterzing, Tamar Antin, and Elizabeth Saewyc for feedback on drafts of the data collection instruments and this manuscript, as well as Nhi Tran and Rafael Gomez-Carrasco for assistance with coding and data analysis. We would also like to thank the transgender community advisory board that advised on all aspects of the Project AFFIRM study. Finally, we are deeply grateful to the young people who participated in this research and graciously agreed to share their stories and photos.