Mental Health Concerns of Transgender Population Living in Chennai, South India

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Mental Health Concerns of Transgender Population Living in Chennai, South India

– A Study

by Thilakaravi on January 04, 2011

A recent study undertaken to understand the level of General wellbeing of

Male-to-female (MTF) Transgender population living in Chennai shed light on the

mental health concerns of the transgender population in Chennai. The study

submitted at the University of Madras, involving both Qualitative and

Quantitative approaches, clearly reveals a strong need for both Psychologists

and Physicians to first understand and accept transgender persons and then

improve their wellbeing from " Average to Better. "

Male-to-female (MTF) Transgender persons, locally known as " Aravaani " in Tamil

Nadu, South India face innumerable difficulties in their day to day existence

such as barriers to accessing health care, social stigma and gender

discrimination. Despite the government of Tamil Nadu being the first in India to

initiate schemes to improve the social acceptance of transgender persons—issuing

ration cards, providing houses and free lands for their use, they are still

highly vulnerable to several mental health problems, such as depression,

anxiety, risk of suicide and HIV/AIDS infection and substance abuse.

Method - The study combined the two arms of research—qualitative and

quantitative techniques of data collection and analysis. The study consisted of

transgender (n=33), and that had been selected for the study by using Purposive

sampling technique because it was a challenge to collect data from the

population, given their obscurity. A standardized Tamil version of the Wellbeing

Questionnaire -12 (Gold Berg 1972) was used. Content Validity was established.

The test-retest reliability of .07, shows a good correlation between the test

scores. On the other hand, an in-depth Interview guide was prepared, and carried

out in order to understand the practical difficulties faced by transgender

community. Descriptive Statistics and Qualitative coding analysis were used to

analyze the data.

Findings - As for the results of the quantitative data, 75.76% of the samples

fell under Average Wellbeing Category, 24.24% of samples fell under Better

Wellbeing Category and 0% fell under Poor Wellbeing Category. From the In-Depth

Interviews it is inferred that the socio-economic status of Transgender is very

poor, they feel inferior to others and are constantly humiliated and ill-treated

by the society at large. However, support within the community is strong.

Excerpts from Interview with Transgender persons

" We have been born like this; People don't understand why we are like this! We

force ourselves to live with no other go "

(A Transgender, 45yrs, Pulianthope).

Transgender persons reside in the interior parts of Chennai, usually in Slum

Areas. The infrastructure in their houses is very poor. People generally do not

prefer to have transgender persons as tenants and so rental accommodation is

hard to get. Often the number of Transgender persons living in a house is more

than the capacity of the house.

" We, seven are living here in this small house, no bathroom and toilet

facilities, many of our neighbors pressurize our house owner to make us vacate

this place. Being an empathetic woman, she has permitted us to stay here "

(A Transgender, 30yrs, Vyasarpaadi)

Males who identify themselves as Female join the Aravaani Community. The

community takes the responsibility of sex reassignment surgery. Most of them

live as a group with a strong bonding. This facilitates them to have the

`we-feeling' and recognition to share their emotions. Very few of them are

accepted by their families and hence they often associate among themselves even

if living in different places.

" When I was abandoned by my family, this elder sister (indicating an elderly

Transgender) gave me the hope, shelter and food. I live now just because of her "

(A Transgender, 20 yrs, Kannikapuram)

A lay man's perception of Transgender persons is very inferior. The community

has low economic status and due to social stigma, they not offered jobs even

though they are qualified. Most of them are beggars and/or sex workers.

" I have studied up to 12th standard, and I am willing to do any work that suits

me. Even NGOs except very few like `Thai' hesitate to recruit us! See, this

society looks down upon us as Sex Workers and cheaters. But what mistake did I

make in my life? Is having been born as Transgender my fault? Only in Sex Work

and Begging, they don't ask any qualifications "

(A Transgender, 29 yrs, Kannikapuram)

For both physical and mental health workers, understanding Transgender persons

has been difficult.

" When I went to a government hospital for my illness, the workers there

including doctor looked at me as an animal. "

(A Transgender, 23 yrs, Vyasarpaadi)

" There is no one in this society to care for us really. Many people come here to

interview us like you. We cry in front of you, you would say something and go

away. We know, nothing big is going to happen. "

(A Transgender, 19 yrs, Choolaimedu)

Even in the West, research on Transgender is not much when compared to Lesbians

and Gays. In India, it is much less. As far as Chennai is concerned, very few

studies have been done in the field of HIV/AIDS Prevention on Transgender

population as a component of the disciplines such as Psychiatry and Social Work,

which makes the current study all the more relevant in highlighting the plight

of the transgender population in Chennai.

Reference:

A STUDY ON GENERAL WELLBEING OF MALE TO FEMALE TRANSGENDERS LIVING IN CHENNAI

2010, by Karthik Lakshmanan RM, Counseling Psychologist and ph Victor -

Faculty, Post Graduate Dept. of Counseling Psychology, Madras School of Social

Work., Chennai, submitted to the University of Madras.

Source-Medindia

http://www.medindia.net/news/healthwatch/Mental-Health-Concerns-of-Transgender-P\

opulation-Living-in-Chennai-South-India-A-Study-78981-1.htm