The Intersection of Transgender and Gender-Diverse Identity and Neurodiversity Among College Students: An Exploration of Minority Stress

Drawing on minority stress and intersectionality theory frameworks, this study used latent profile analysis to examine how distal (gender-related discrimination, gender-related rejection, neurodiverse discrimination) and proximal (internalized transphobia, stigma consciousness) stressors clustered together to form distinct patterns of identity-based stress among 190 transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) undergraduate students who are neurodiverse (ND). Variation in relative risk for mental health (psychological distress, resilience) and academic outcomes (college self-efficacy, grade point average [GPA]) among the profiles were assessed using multinomial logistic regression. Four distinct profiles emerged: low stress profile (Profile 1, n = 59), high gender-related discrimination profile (Profile 2, n = 56), high stress profile (Profile 3, n = 43), and high stigma consciousness (Profile 4, n = 32). Profile membership was associated with ND diagnosis, gender identity, race, and income. Multinomial logistic regression analyses found that psychological distress, college self-efficacy, and GPA predicted profile membership. The implications of study findings for existing theory and clinical practice are discussed.