1 - (OP13) Experiences of Vicarious Minority Stress by Transgender and Gender Expansive Youth in the United Sates: Developmental, Contextual, and Sociopolitical Considerations

Rationale/Significance: In the United States (U.S.), transgender and gender expansive (TGE) youth experience elevated mental health concerns compared to their cisgender peers. The gender minority stress model (GMSM) attributes these health disparities to identity-related distress beyond everyday stress. One emerging mechanism within the model is vicarious gender minority stress (VGMS), i.e., gender-related stress experienced by others who share key identities. Few studies have explored developmental considerations that may influence how VGMS are experienced or VGMS that may be specific to the developmental context of adolescence. We collaborated with TGE youth (a) to identify the breadth of VGMS experienced and (b) to understand the youth’s perspectives on contextual factors that influence their experiences of, or reactions to, VGMS.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews via Zoom with TGE youth ages 15-19 (N = 10). We analyzed interviews using content analysis (Hsieh & Shannon, 2025). Participants provided feedback on analyses to ensure their perspectives were accurately represented.

Results: We identified two superordinate themes with repeating ideas. Theme 1 was (1) TGE youth experience VGMS in developmentally specific locations, through witnessing and learning of stressors experienced by other TGE individuals and the community more broadly, with repeating ideas (1a) vicarious distal stressors impact individuals, (1b) vicarious proximal stressors impact individuals, (1c) vicarious stressors impact the broader TGE community. Theme 2 was (2) TGE youth observe that personal and contextual factors influenced how impacted they were by VGMS, with repeating ideas (2a) TGE youth’s relationship to perpetrator of the stressor influenced VGMS impact, (2b) TGE youth’s the relationship to the target of the stressor influenced the impact of VGMS, and (2c) the identities and identity development stage influenced how TGE youth relate to the stressor and target of the stressor.

Conclusions: Our findings advance developmental considerations of minority stress by highlighting VGMS as an impactful component of minority stress for TGE youth. Experiences of VGMS are embedded within developmentally specific contexts, such as family, school, and sociopolitical environment. Results demonstrate that developmental factors (e.g., age of majority status), cultural influences (e.g., ethnic cultural norms), and identity-related processes (e.g., stage of identity development) shape how TGE youth interpret and respond to VGMS. These insights provide a foundation for future inquiry into the scope and impact of VGMS in youth minority stress processes, and point to key cognitive and behavioral processes clinicians can more responsively address in individual or group CBT.