The role of internalized transphobia, loneliness, and social supportin thepsychological well-being of a group of Italian transgender and gender non-conforming youths: A moderated-mediation model

The contribution investigates the quality of life of transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC)people in according to the support received from social and family context. Although TGNC youth represent a highly resilient community capable of successfully overcoming adverse life circumstances, they still experience social stigma that negatively impacts their health (Molnar, 2018), especially if approached to the possibility of being rejectedby the family and peer group.An additional risk is represented by the common idea that the sex assigned at birth must be aligned with gender identity (Nadal et al., 2012) on which the support (Lev, 2013) can play a role as a moderator. Objectives of thisresearch are:1) evaluating how internalized transphobia (IT) and loneliness are correlated withthe quality of life; 2) clarifying whether social support would act as a protective factor in the quality of life of research participants. The research used a multimethod approach through a questionnaire divided into 5 sections including 4 different scales (Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale; Gender Minority Stress and Resilience Scale; Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support; Scala Revised University of California at Los Angeles Loneliness Scale). Thus, within the framework of the minority stress, this paper aims to investigate the role of loneliness as a mediator of the relationship between IT and psychological well-being (PW), as well as the moderating role of social support. A total of 79 Italian TGNC youths (45 binary and 34 non binary) aged 18 to 30 years (M = 23.73, SD = 3.59) participated in an online survey. A moderated mediation model was tested using the PROCESS Macro for SPSS with gender identity and age as control variables. Results showed that: (1)IT was negatively associated with PW(b = -0.03, p = 0.001); (2) IT was positively associated with loneliness (b = 0.03, p< 0.001); (3) loneliness was negatively associated with PW(b = -0.49, p = 0.001); and (4) loneliness partially mediated the relationship between IT and PW(b = -0.19, p = 0.006). In addition, social support proved to be a significant moderator, as the effect of IT on PW decreased with moderate (b = -0.03, 95% C.I. [-0.04, -0.01], p = 0.001) and high social support (b = -0.04, 95% C.I. [-0.06, -0.01], p < 0.001), but not with low (p< 0.05). Other clinical and social implications of our findings are discussed in terms of individual, interpersonal, and structural stigma.Based on our findings, it is advisable both to expand the social network, promoting intimate and community relationships, and to take charge, on a clinical level, of the experiences of loneliness that can become radicalized over time also through the early experiences of one's personal and family history.