Development and validation of the multidimensional transgender and nonbinary resilience scale

Introduction: Trans and nonbinary (TNB) people face ongoing and systematic oppression that negatively affects their mental health and well-being. However, past qualitative research highlights the unique ways in which TNB people are resilient and resist these oppressive systems. Most quantitative research on TNB resilience uses general measures of resilience that do not reflect the unique ways that TNB people specifically demonstrate resilience. Further, traditional conceptualizations of resilience define resilience as an individual trait rather than encompassing group- and systems-level factors. Methods: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of a novel measure of TNB resilience based on the multidimensional TNB resilience framework that posits four dimensions of resilience (i.e. individual, interpersonal, community, and societal). Measure items were developed and refined using a community-engaged approach to ensure the measure adequately captures experiences of TNB resilience. We tested the validity and reliability of the scale with a large, diverse sample of TNB adults (N = 608) in the United States. Results: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure with the subscales representing individual resilience, interpersonal resilience, community and societal engagement, and community and societal disengagement. The full scale and subscales were reliable and demonstrated convergent, discriminant, criterion, and incremental validity. Invariance testing showed that the scale is valid across gender, race, and age cohorts. Discussion: This novel measure provides a unique way to assess resilience from a multi-dimensional perspective that is grounded in TNB people’s lived experiences.