Exploring Mental Health and Quality of Life of Transgender of North India: An Anthropological perspective

Authors

  • Abhinandana Singh Former M.Sc. student, Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh. 
  • Raminder Kaur Post Doctoral Fellow (DST),  Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh.
  • Shriya Kalia Research Scholar, Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh. 
  • Maninder Kaur Associate Professor,  , Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh.
  • Jagriti Mehta Guest Faculty, Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37506/mh8qgg78

Keywords:

QUALITY OF LIFE, MENTAL HEALTH, TRANSMALE, TRANSFEMALE, PSYCHOLOGICAL DOMAIN

Abstract

Background: Transgenders are one of the most neglected, outcasted, and excluded groups in society, thereby making their mental health fragile. Only legal transformations are not sufficient to amalgamate them in the society. Aim: The present study is an attempt to evaluate the mental health and quality of life of the transgender population of Chandigarh (North India). Methods: A total of 51 transgender individuals (36% of the total transgender population), ranging in age from 18 to 50 years, were enrolled in the study from Chandigarh by using a snowball sampling method. Mental health and quality of life were evaluated by the standardized instruments, i.e., the WHOQOL-BREF and PHQ-12, respectively. Results & Discussion: The results demonstrated poor mean scores for overall quality of life (47.09), with the highest score in the physical domain (69.53) and the least in the psychological domain (59.44). A comparison between trans males and trans females exhibited statistically non-significant differences across four domains of the WHO-BREF scale. The prevalence of depression was 49% among the present population, out of which 33.3% were having moderate depression. Hence, a positive public perception along with stringent legislative reforms is required for the holistic inclusion of transgenders in society.

Author Biographies

  • Abhinandana Singh, Former M.Sc. student, Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh. 

    Former M.Sc. student, Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh. 

  • Raminder Kaur, Post Doctoral Fellow (DST),  Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

    Post Doctoral Fellow (DST),  Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

  • Shriya Kalia, Research Scholar, Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh. 

    Research Scholar, Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh. 

  • Maninder Kaur, Associate Professor,  , Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

    Associate Professor,  , Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

  • Jagriti Mehta, Guest Faculty, Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh.

    Guest Faculty, Department of Anthropology, Panjab University, Chandigarh. 

References

.

Reisner SL, Poteat T, Keatley J, Cabral M, Mothopeng

T, Dunham E, et al. Global Health Burden and Needs

of Transgender Populations: A Review. Lancet. 2016

Jul 23;388(10042):412–36.

Kuper LE, Nussbaum R, Mustanski B. Exploring the

Diversity of Gender and Sexual Orientation Identities

in an Online Sample of Transgender Individuals. 2012

Mar 1.

Nagarajan R. First count of third gender in census:

9 lakh | India News - Times of India. 2014 [cited

Dec 16]; Available from: https://timesofindia.

indiatimes.com/india/first-count-of-third-gender-in

census-4-9-lakh/articleshow/35741613.cms

Jain D. Right to Health and Gender-Affirmative

Procedure in the Transgender Persons Act 2019 in

India. Indian J Plast Surg. 2022 Jul 14;55(2):205–10.

Grossman AH. Transgender youth and suicidal

behaviors: Applying the interpersonal psychological

theory of suicide: Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental

Health: Vol 20 , No 4 - Get Access. 2016 [cited 2024 Dec

; Available from: https://www.tandfonline.com/

doi/ full/ 10.1080/19359705.2016.1207581

Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. Welfare

of transgender persons in India: Slew of measures by

central government in last three years. 2022. Available

from: https://ppl-ai-file-upload.s3.amazonaws.com/

web/direct-files/ 14491451/371d7025-111b-4e77-8f52

fd779d6a85e0/trans-3.pdf

Raj P, Dubey A. Comprehending health of the

transgender population in India through bibliometric

analysis. Int J Public Health. 2024;69:1606598.

doi:10.3389/ijph.2024.1606598

Mehar DHK, Verma MD. Mental health and quality

of life of transgender in relation to discrimination in

Rajasthan. Int J Indian Psychol. 2024;12(1):Article 089.

doi:10.25215/1201.089

Goyal S, Deb KS, Elawadhi D, Kaw N. Substance

abuse as a way of life in marginalized gender identity

disorder: a case report with review of Indian literature.

Asian J Psychiatr. 2014;12:160–2. doi:10.1016/j.

ajp.2014.08.004

Kalra G, Shah N. The cultural, psychiatric, and

sexuality aspects of hijras in India. International

Journal of Transgenderism. 2013 Oct 1;14(4):171-81.

Srinivasan SP, Chandrasekaran S. Mental health status

and its psychosocial correlates among help-seeking

transgender individuals: experiences from a clinic

in South India. Transgend Health. 2023;X(X):1–9.

doi:10.1089/trgh.2022.0150.

Glick JL, Lopez A, Pollock M, Theall KP. “Housing

Insecurity Seems to Almost Go Hand in Hand with

Being Trans”: Housing Stress among Transgender and

Gender Non-conforming Individuals in New Orleans.

J Urban Health. 2019 Oct;96(5):751–9.

Scheim A, Rich A, Zubizarreta D, Malik M, Ke B, Aj R,

et al. Health status of transgender people globally: A

systematic review of research on disease burden and

correlates. PloS one [Internet]. 2024 Mar 11 [cited 2024

Dec 5];19(3). Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.

nlm.nih.gov/38466747/

Kumar S, Kartikey D, Biswas J. Status of perceived

stress and quality of life in adults during COVID-19

pandemic. Indian J Priv Psychiatry. 2022;16(1):25–8.

doi:10.5005/jp-journals-10067-0102

Olickal J, Kumar Saya G, Selvaraj R, Chinnakali P.

Association of alcohol use with quality of life (QoL): a

community-based study from Puducherry, India. Clin

Epidemiol Glob Health. 2021;10:100697. doi:10.1016/j.

cegh.2021.100697

Ramadass S, Rai SK, Gupta SK, Kant S, Wadhwa S,

Sood M, Sreenivas V. Prevalence of disability and its

association with sociodemographic factors and quality

of life in a rural adult population of northern India.

Natl Med J India. 2018;31(5):268–73. doi:10.4103/0970

X.261179

Poudel R. Embracing Diversity: Advancing

Transgender Mental Health in Nepal. Journal

of Psychiatrists’ Association of Nepal. 2023 Dec

;12(2):1–2.

Nobili A, Glazebrook C, Arcelus J. Quality of life of

treatment-seeking transgender adults: A systematic

review and meta-analysis. Rev Endocr Metab Disord.

Sep;19(3):199–220.

Krishna B, Mahalakshmi K, Umadevi K, Kalpana S, Vm

AE. Sexual Health Status and Quality Of Life among

Transgender Population in Chennai. National Journal

of Community Medicine. 2021 Oct 31;12(10):306–10.

Hajek A, König HH, Buczak-Stec E, Blessmann M,

Grupp K. Prevalence and Determinants of Depressive

and Anxiety Symptoms among Transgender People:

Results of a Survey. Healthcare (Basel). 2023 Feb

;11(5):705.

Budge SL, Adelson JL, Howard KAS. Anxiety and

depression in transgender individuals: the roles of

transition status, loss, social support, and coping. J

Consult Clin Psychol. 2013 Jun;81(3):545–57

Downloads

Published

2026-01-06

Issue

Vol. 17 No. 1 (2026): Indian Journal of Public Health Research and Development

Section

Original Article

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Abhinandana Singh, Raminder Kaur, Shriya Kalia, Maninder Kaur, Jagriti Mehta

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Exploring Mental Health and Quality of Life of Transgender of North India: An Anthropological perspective. (2026). Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development, 17(1), 25-33. https://doi.org/10.37506/mh8qgg78