| Abstract [eng] |
Despite the increasing visibility of transgender people and the recent scientific research analyzing various aspects of transgender people’s lives, many transgender people still face serious psychosocial challenges, an increased risk of mental health problems, discrimination and social exclusion. These difficulties are especially pronounced in Lithuania, where the rights of these people are among the worst ensured in the European Union. Recent research emphasizes resilience as an important buffer against stress experienced by minorities, which can mitigate the consequences of challenges on mental health, however specific interventions that promote the resilience of transgender people have not been sufficiently studied, and there is very little research on the effectiveness of group art therapy in this area. This mixed-method exploratory study aims to reveal how group art therapy contributes to strengthening the emotional resilience of transgender people. The research objectives are: 1. To analyze the psychosocial challenges and resilience factors experienced by transgender people and the possibilities for the application of art therapy. 2. To determine the level of resilient coping, self-esteem and psychological well-being of the study participants before and after art therapy. 3. To reveal the experiences of resilience of transgender people in the context of group art therapy. 4. To integrate the obtained quantitative and qualitative results. Research methods: thematic analysis; quasi-experimental single-group study, the following scales were used: Short Resilient Coping Questionnaire, Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire, demographic questionnaire. During the study, 12 participants attended a 10-session art therapy program. Quantitative results showed a trend of improvement in resilient coping, self-esteem and mental well-being, but the results did not reach statistical significance, possibly due to the small study sample. Thematic analysis reveals how art therapy becomes a safe space to face difficult feelings, explore and define identity. Additionally of great importance in the participants’ accounts was the sense of belonging and community, which strengthens self-esteem and reduces isolation. These themes overlap with the specific resilience factors of transgender people identified in the literature, therefore, the change in resilience may have been greater than the selected non-specific resilience scales could assess. The findings indicate that group art therapy has great potential to strengthen the emotional resilience of transgender people. This study highlights the importance of inclusive, context-aware psychosocial support for marginalized groups and can serve as a starting point for further research. |
