The Effects of Parental Protective Factors and Internalized Nonbinary Negativity on Negative Mental Health Outcomes among Nonbinary Young Adults of Color

Despite the growing nonbinary population and their unique experiences, nonbinary people of color specific research remains scarce as most studies were done with predominantly white samples and failed to disaggregate transgender men and transgender women from nonbinary people. While parental acceptance and support (PAS) serve as protective factors for distal and proximal stressors-induced negative mental health outcomes among TNB youth, more research is needed to examine whether PAS play a role in nonbinary young adults of color’s mental health. Additionally, PAS may lead nonbinary young adults to internalize negative messages toward their gender identity, impacting mental health. This study aimed to examine whether PAS received by nonbinary young adults of color vary by race, whether PAS are associated with depression and suicidality, and whether these associations are mediated by internalized nonbinary negativity (INN) among nonbinary adults of color. Cross-sectional data from 174 nonbinary young adults of color were analyzed. Only parental support (PS) but not parental acceptance (PA) differed across racial groups. PAS were found to be negatively associated with depression and suicidality, but INN did not mediate the association between PS and negative mental health outcomes. Findings of this study reiterate the mental health disparities seen within the nonbinary community and serve as a call for attention to the effects of PAS in the lives of nonbinary young adults of color. Future research should inquire about the cultural values that influence PAS, ways to cultivate PAS among parents using existing cultural strengths, and the benefits of helping nonbinary young adults of color to maintain integral social support from parents.