To Örebro University

Despite increasing research on LGBTQI+ people's experiences, studies specifically focusing on those aged 60 and older remain scarce. This group has faced unique challenges that younger generations may not have encountered. The aim of this study was to synthesize qualitative research on the lived experience of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people aged 60 years and older. We followed the ENTREQ reporting guidelines. Articles were searched in ASSIA, CINAHL, Medline, PsycInfo, Sociological Abstracts, and Sociological Services Abstracts, with additional gray literature searches. Out of 3207 articles, 1865 were assessed using the SPIDER (sample, phenomenon of interest, design, evaluation, research type) framework. The quality of 22 articles was evaluated using SBU guidelines. Eight articles, involving 169 LGBTQI+ participants aged 60-89 years from Australia, Canada, Sweden, and the United States were included. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed three themes: (a) the ongoing work of being open or of concealing, (b) the need for recognition and belonging, and (c) resilience despite challenges. Participants shared their journeys of self-discovery, highlighting their strength in the face of discrimination, as they continued to find their authentic selves over the years. While some positive and negative experiences were common across identities, others were specific for subgroups of participants, which should inform future studies.

Background: Compared to negative experiences and ill health, little attention has been paid to positive experiences connected to being transgender and gender diverse (TGD).

Aim: The aim of the current study was to explore TGD people’s positive experiences in depth.

Methods: In total, 33 TGD people were interviewed. Transcripts were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: Results show that participants had various positive experiences related to their gender identity. While some of these experiences can be conceptualized as “minority joy,” capturing experiences evoking happy emotions, others are better understood as “minority growth”—a personal development and sense of authenticity—and “minority peace”—a sense of comfortability and calmness. The emotional valence of experiences was further explored to better understand the themes.

Discussion: In line with earlier research, some of the positive experiences could be seen as buffers between stressors and ill health and some were clearly connected to experiencing stressors. However, some experiences were freestanding from stressors and positive in their own right. The results of this study give an alternative to the prevailing view of TGD experiences necessarily connected to suffering. The results are relevant for professionals meeting TGD people, since a focus on strengths and positive aspects could be an important, but previously under focused tool to improve general health and quality of life. It may give hope to TGD people themselves, who are often presented with the trope of the suffering TGD person. Not the least, results could inform general society and policy makers.

Knowledge of prepubertal transgender and gender diverse (TGD) children is limited. This study fills a gap in the research literature by exploring the lived experiences of prepubertal TGD children related to gender identity, centering their voices. Interviews with 10 TGD Swedish children 4–12 years old were analyzed through Thematic Analysis. The analysis resulted in two main themes: (1) “The journey of gender exploration,” with subthemes Discovering me and The joys, and challenges of being me; (2) “Meeting the outside world,” with subthemes Can I belong? and Staying me: my tips, tricks and help from others. The children’s evolving gender identity was traced, emphasizing emotional aspects and pivotal milestones like affirmed names. Even though the children had supportive environments, challenges of misgendering and the need for continual self-assertion were exposed. Despite struggles for recognition, the study highlights TGD children’s resilient coping and well-being. Still, cisgender norms were observed to challenge their prevalent pride and positive self-images, emphasizing the need for enhanced knowledge of gender diversity for a broader societal change. This study expands the literature on TGD children’s gender identity development, informs professionals and abroad audience and provides an enhanced understanding of TGD prepubertal children through their own words.

Employers in Sweden are mandated to take active measures to prevent discrimination against sexual minorities. While it is important that relevant measures are taken, knowledge is lacking about cisgender lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) people’s minority stress experiences at Swedish workplaces. The present work is based on a thematic analysis of interviews with 53 cisgender LGB participants, focusing on how they experienced and dealt with minority stress experiences at work. Results are drawing on the minority stress model and illustrate experiences of distal minority stress due to a heteronormative work climate. This distal stress led to proximal stressors, such as constantly being on guard. Participants took considerable responsibility for others’ feelings, felt a responsibility to educate on LGBTQ issues, and sometimes engaged in formal policy work to improve workplace conditions. The study points at the importance of shifting the burden of workplace minority stress from individual LGB people to employers.

Past research on trans and nonbinary (TNB) people has primarily addressed minority stress and discrimination. Recently, researchers began to examine the positive dimensions of TNB identities, conceptualizing the construct of "minority joy". The present study aimed to contribute to the theoretical development of this construct by analyzing the experiences of Italian TNB individuals. Data were drawn from two studies exploring the well-being of 12 trans men, 8 trans women and 8 nonbinary individuals (age range = 19-54; mean = 27.5) using semi-structured interviews. Using a codebook thematic analysis, we identified four domains of positive experiences associated with TNB identities: (1) Gender Euphoria from authenticity to recognition; (2) Feeling pride and playing with gender norms; (3) Critical awareness as a form of liberation from norms; (4) Queer Community as a source of individual and collective support. These findings emphasize the role of interventions and prevention strategies promoting gender identity pride, authenticity, and self-affirmation.

Background: Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth face existential challenges in navigating their genders in a cisnormative world that often misrecognizes or denies them.

Aim: This qualitative study aimed to deepen the understanding of existential dimensions of the participants’ lived experiences related to gender, within a cisnormative context.

Methods: A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted on the lived experiences of nine Swedish binary transgender youths, aged 13-16.

Results: Two main themes were developed: 1) “Disorientation and existential challenges: navigating self-recognition in a non-inclusive world,” with subthemes Can I exist in the world’ and Can I exist in my body?; and 2) “Relational responsibility: emotional work to be recognized,”with subthemes Taking responsibility for my safety; Responsibility for others—facilitating recognition; and Reorientation and the power of recognition.

Discussion: Drawing on Ahmed’s Queer Phenomenology and Honneth’s Theory of Recognition, the study highlighted how limited awareness or denial of gender diversity shaped participants’ struggles to orient themselves in a cisnormative society. Living authentically required significant emotional labor in navigating relationships, reflecting an ongoing process of coping and a deep need for emotional, communal, and legal recognition.

Conclusion: By exploring the existential dimensions of participants’ lived experiences within cisnormativity, this study underscored the power of (mis-)recognition and the emotional laborTGD youth undertake to create livable spaces for authentic lives. A holistic understanding of their experiences can guide professionals, parents, and others in providing better support.

By simultaneously examining minority-related stressors and general stressors experienced by the whole population, the study's aim was to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the health and well-being of LGBTQ+ young adults in Sweden during the Covid-19 pandemic. This study explored differences in mental health and quality of life between subgroups of young LGBTQ+ adults. Further, it explored how distal and proximal minority stressors, as well as stress related to the Covid-19 pandemic, and family support were associated with mental health outcomes (depression, anxiety, and quality of life) using linear regression analyses in a sample of 245 young LGBTQ+ Swedish individuals. The results showed increased mental distress in transgender and nonbinary (TNB) young adults and that minority stress influences health in LGBTQ+ young adults above and beyond the general stress of living through a pandemic. Nevertheless, different predictors were significant for different outcomes. For all outcomes, family support was highlighted as an important protective factor for LGBTQ+ young adults. Findings support the minority stress model and highlight the need for interventions aimed at reducing minority stress as well as tailored support and resources for TNB individuals during times of general high stressor load. This may include support aimed at their close families.

Providing new psychological treatments in clinical settings requires implementation strategies adapted to the organizational context. This study explored how licensed psychologists experienced their context when providing a new transdiagnostic psychological treatment, "the hybrid treatment", to treat comorbid pain and emotional problems in a clinical setting. We aimed to identify which contextual factors the therapists experienced as facilitating or hindering, to gain a better understanding of important considerations when planning a future implementation strategy. Contextual factors were identified using the Consolidated Framework of Implementation Research (CFIR) in data collection and analysis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews (N = 9). Thematic analysis resulted in the identification of five main influencing factors: Perception of the intervention's adaptability, prioritization of the patient's needs, leadership engagement, structure for collaboration, and therapists' professional engagement. The results highlight the importance of ensuring a clearly stated mandate for the key individuals involved. The findings may guide future implementation of new psychological treatments into regular care, to enhance facilitators and overcome barriers.

Background: Parental support is a crucial protective factor for the well-being of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) children and youth. Yet, parents often undergo complex processes before reaching an affirming stance.

Aim: This is the first study to explore the experiences of Swedish parents to TGD children.

Methods: The study explored Swedish parents' lived experiences of the phenomenon "becoming a parent to a child expressing a TGD identity" using a Reflective Lifeworld Research (RLR) approach to capture the essence of the phenomenon. Twenty-eight cisgender parents from nineteen families across Sweden participated in in-depth lifeworld interviews.

Results: The essence of the phenomenon was to find oneself in existential motion through unfamiliar terrain, further detailed by three constituents: (1) The unsettling of gendered familiarity, (2) Seeking certainty in uncertainty, and (3) Self-reflection and shifting relationships.

Discussion: The phenomenon was shaped by cisnormative assumptions, triggering emotional dissonance and conflicting emotions, yet also of hope and recognition. The results highlighted the emotional labor required to support the children while managing internal tensions, as well as the potential for personal gender reflection, understanding, and expression of gender. These findings expand previous international research by emphasizing relational and existential dimensions and by adding experiences from a Swedish context.

Conclusion: The study underscores the need for enhanced knowledge about gender diversity, clearer guidelines, and accessible and reflective support systems for parents, fostering space also for emotional processing, relational negotiation, and identity work in the light of cisnormativity. Such systems are vital for promoting the health and resilience of both TGD children, youth, and their families.

The workplace is an important part of many people's lives. Many transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals have negative experiences of their workplace due to discrimination and cisnormativity. Whether or not to be open about TGD experiences, and the degree of openness, is something many TGD individuals struggle with at work. Openness is related to well-being and job satisfaction and is therefore important to consider when understanding TGD individuals' work situations. This article examines TGD individuals' experiences of openness and concealment regarding their TGD experience at work. Thirty TGD adults from Sweden participated in online semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results show that the organizational climate and physical environment, as well as leadership and human resources, set the stage for an inclusive or excluding workplace for TGD individuals. For the individual, these aspects are taken into consideration when weighing up the risks and advantages of being open about their TGD experience at work. Factors such as work climate, the presence of LGBTQ+ colleagues, and access to safe facilities make a difference in the decision about, and experience of, being open or concealing one's TGD experience at work. Personal values, and a prerequisite to pass or not, affect decisions concerning disclosure and create different challenges in managing working life as a TGD individual. Findings are helpful in better understanding TGD people's situation at work and are of use for work management and policymakers in creating a better work environment for TGD individuals.