Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, Vol 12(4), Dec 2025, 578-588; doi:10.1037/sgd0000705
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals are disproportionately exposed to traumatic and high-impact minority stressors, which can produce an array of transdiagnostic symptoms. Some clinical presentations align well with established evidence-based treatments, but others may require patient-centered modifications or combined approaches to address treatment needs. In this study, we used a novel, bottom-up approach to derive insights into preferred intervention strategies for a broad range of trauma- and TGD-minority stress-related expressions of clinical distress. Participants (18 TGD individuals and 16 providers) completed a q-sort task by first sorting cards featuring traumatic experiences and/or minority stressors and transdiagnostic psychiatric symptoms into groups based on perceived similarity. Next, participants sorted interventions they believed to be most relevant for addressing these concerns/symptoms. We overlaid networks of stressors and symptoms with intervention networks to evaluate preferred intervention strategies. TGD networks revealed transdiagnostic clustering of intervention strategies and uniquely positioned the expectancy of future harm as a traumatic stressor. Provider networks were more granular in structure; both groups surprisingly emphasized the role of self-defense as an intervention. While both networks had high overlap, their discrepancies highlight patient perspectives that practical, material, and structural changes should occur alongside traditional clinical interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)