MINORITY STRESS AND ALCOHOL-RELATED OUTCOMES AMONG TRANSGENDER AND GENDER DIVERSE COLLEGE STUDENTS: THE MODERATING EFFECTS OF RESILIENCE AND FLOURISHING

Minority stressors are chronic and pervasive among transgender and gender diverse (TGD) college students. In the present study, we examine the associations between two minority stressors (i.e., microaggressions, discrimination) and three alcohol-related outcomes (i.e., risk for alcohol dependence, negative alcohol-related consequences, binge drinking episodes) among a diverse TGD college sample in the U.S. Two protective factors (i.e., flourishing and resilience) were examined for their role in attenuating the associations between minority stressors and alcohol-related outcomes. Secondary data analyses were conducted using the subsample of TGD participants (N = 3,395) in the spring 2021 American College Health Association National College Health Assessment comprised of transgender women (15.4%), transgender men (14.8%), and non-binary individuals (69.8%) ages 18-25, many of whom were sexual minorities (85.2%) and racial/ethnic minorities (43.9%). Results demonstrate that collectively both minority stressors are associated with greater risk for all negative alcohol-related outcomes. Individually, microaggressions and discrimination demonstrate significant risks for unique alcohol-related outcomes; microaggressions were associated with risk for alcohol dependence, whereas, discrimination was associated with negative alcohol-related consequences and binge drinking episodes. Flourishing, but not resilience, was associated with lower risk for all negative alcohol- related outcomes. The moderating effects of resilience and flourishing were not significant. The results provide evidence of flourishing as a significant asset and protective factor in the TGD college community. Mental health professionals should screen TGD persons for microaggressions and discrimination, and inform students of the risks associated with drinking alcohol to cope with psychological distress related to minority stress. Implications for TGD college student communities, mental health providers, and the field of minority stress research are discussed.