The paper illustrates how unstable livelihood, unsupported kinship structures, and new forms of underlying stigma can worsen vulnerabilities during public health emergencies

The COVID-19 pandemic adversely impacted the mental health of transgenders in India as the lockdown disrupted unique social support among the community, affecting employment and reducing access to mental health care, says a latest study.

Published by Frontiers, one of largest research publishers and open science platforms, the paper illustrates how unstable livelihood, unsupported kinship structures, and new forms of underlying stigma can worsen vulnerabilities during public health emergencies.

The study also points out how the “lived mental health experience of transgender persons” is intricately linked to the way work, travel and housing is structured in the society.

In India, transgender persons are among the most vulnerable as they face widespread marginalisation due to experiences of stigma, discrimination and violence leading to lack of education, income and employment.

Many transgenders are involved in begging, sex work and traditional blessing (badhaai) for their livelihood.

“The gender dysphoria was found to be a key mediating factor in the impact of COVID-19 on mental health with a negative and positive impact,” the study reveals.

The research also calls for systemic changes to make mental healthcare and general healthcare services trans-inclusive.

It calls for an in-service training and change of health professional curricula to make it trans-affirmative, and makes a case for changing health regulations such as insurance policies to make it “inclusive of transpersons’ needs.”

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