Examining the Inclusivity of Gender Diversity in Online Mental Health Resources
Loading...
Date
Authors
Bordeaux, Leo
Herman, Alyssa
Kondo, Emily
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Transgender and gender diverse individuals face a significantly elevated risk of suicide, largely attributable to minority stressors and marginalization. It is imperative that online mental health resources be inclusive and non-offensive to avoid perpetuating stress experienced by this population. This study aimed to assess the gender inclusivity of online suicide and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) resources (e.g., crisis hotline website, fact sheet about NSSI). Two undergraduates coded 58 suicide and NSSI resources for six “do’s” of developing gender inclusive resources (i.e., use of gender inclusive language, discussion of chosen name, discussion of pronouns, recognition of social stigma, recognition of the uniqueness of identity, and diversity in imagery) and four “don’ts” (i.e., indication that there are only two genders, use of nonspecific terms related to gender, pathologization of gender diversity, and relating gender diversity with c! onfusion). The most common “do” was the use of gender inclusive language (89%; “Has someone you know taken their life?”). The most common “don’t” was the indication that there are only two genders (30%; “Guide him or her to additional professional help.”). These findings provide a glimpse into the gender inclusivity of online mental health resources while also highlighting opportunities for improvement.
Description
single page poster
Keywords
Transgender and gender diverse individuals, gender-diverse inclusivity, suicide, gender inclusive language