Studying Trans Well-being at a Time of Sociopolitical Crisis
M Pease, PYSC B.S. ’22, M.S. ’24, a doctoral candidate in UMD’s counseling psychology program, is a coauthor on a new systematic review addressing a topic not often scientifically explored: the positive experiences, joy, and psychological well-being of trans and nonbinary (TNB) people and communities. The paper appears in American Psychologist, the flagship journal of the American Psychological Association.
This research comes at a time when TNB people in the United States are, as the authors assert, being targeted in the media and legislature, and when trans research is being unfairly attacked. Amid ongoing policy debates regarding gender affirming care, the way schools do or do not support trans students, and limits to the ways trans people are able to live their lives openly, authentically, and peacefully, research about TNB communities is especially timely.
“A lot of discussions about TNB folks in the United States right now are very focused on deficits and stigma they experience. We talk a lot about harm, oppression, and the ostracization of those communities. These conversations are important, but it is also very important to bring to light the joy of living authentically as TNB people right now,” Pease said. “This project really sought to show what we know about trans joy. What do we know about well-being? And where does the literature need to go from here?”
Pease joined lead author Dr. Zakary Clements of Loyola University Chicago, and senior authors Dr. Sharon S. Rostosky of the University of Kentucky and Dr. Paz Galupo of Washington University in St. Louis on the groundbreaking study, which focuses on identifying factors that help TNB people survive, thrive, and live authentic, joyful lives.
“We know that TNB people have many strengths related to their gender identity. Our team recognized the importance of thinking beyond a deficit model to understand the well-being of TNB people,” Clements said. “We decided to conduct a systematic review of the literature to explore what factors influence trans and nonbinary people’s well-being.”
Researchers identified nearly 100 articles over the past 50 years that examined TNB well-being through a quantitative lens. Ultimately, they found that TNB well-being was supported through affirmation, not only on the individual level, but on the interpersonal, and societal levels as well. Well-being was associated with a sense of pride and authenticity, supportive and connective relationships, and access to resources and affirming policies.
While this might seem intuitive, the findings are profound in being one of the few studies of its kind to synthesize the body of literature and develop a novel framework to understand and promote TNB well-being.
“We used our findings to develop a practical model that goes beyond addressing disparities—and provides psychologists a way to think about how we can both understand trans well-being and develop interventions to enhance it,” Galupo said.
Co-authors began their work with an understanding that trans well-being in this moment is especially crucial for protecting and uplifting the community through empirically-based strategies, especially given the increases in socio-political attacks on the community. Several of the authors had previously collaborated on community-based research specifically about the experiences of trans Marylanders and knew that continuing to expand knowledge in this area could make a great difference for the community.
“As a counseling psychologist who has focused on the strengths of LGBTQ+ individuals, families, and communities for over two decades, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to collaborate as part of this outstanding team of early career and established scholars to consolidate what we know at present about TNB well-being and pave the way for future directions in research and practice,” Rostosky said.
Pease currently serves as the Chair of the Maryland Commission on LGBTQIA+ Affairs, the first out trans person of color to lead a Maryland state board of commission, and a member of the Advocacy Coordinating Committee of the American Psychological Association. Pease was able to use their experiences in these roles to make suggestions in the paper about how to use scientific findings about trans well-being to inform advocacy, clinical, and community work.
“Our findings emphasize the support that can make a difference in TNB people’s lives,” Pease said. “It’s really lovely to see that, even amid dire circumstances, people come together and form relationships and live their lives the best they can with what they have, and with what resources are available. And it is up to all of us to do what we can to make a world where the resources, policies, and relationships needed to actualize the well-being of the trans community are givens, not exceptions.”
Pease is currently finishing their Ph.D. by completing their one-year APA-accredited doctoral internship in health service psychology at Towson University Counseling Center, providing psychological services to the Towson student community.
Illustration by iStock
Published on Fri, Aug 28, 2026 - 11:01AM