Transgender and gender diverse individuals in their faith communities: The impact of religious abuse on mental health outcomes

Research regarding transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people is becoming increasingly important for psychologists, especially those who provide treatment and advocacy. In the current study, the researcher looked at the relationship between religious/spiritual abuse among TGD people and mental health utilizing the Spiritual Abuse Questionnaire (Keller, 2016) and the Scales of Psychological Well-Being (Ryff & Keyes, 1995). The researcher also explored potential protective factors that may impact the expected relationship between religious/spiritual abuse and mental health utilizing the Spirituality Index of Well-Being (Daaleman & Frey, 2004) and the Religious Commitment Inventory-10 (Worthington et al., 2003). A total of 117 participants were surveyed through online data collection methods. Bivariate correlation, hierarchical regression, and ANOVA analyses were conducted to investigate the hypotheses. There was a small positive correlation between spiritual abuse and psychological well-being in the opposite direction of the researcher’s prediction. Religious commitment significantly moderated the relationship between experiences of spiritual abuse and psychological well-being, and individuals in negative policy tally states, based on the Transgender Law Center National Equality Map, reported experiencing spiritual abuse at higher rates compared to individuals in other states. These findings offer valuable insights that may help psychologists and other mental health professionals in delivering more informed, comprehensive, and affirming therapeutic treatment to TGD clients. Recognizing the nuanced relationship between religious/spiritual factors and mental health outcomes can help clinicians tailor their approaches to better support the diverse needs and coping mechanisms of TGD individuals, ultimately contributing to more effective, inclusive mental health interventions.