American Psychologist, Vol 81(6), Sep 2026, 785-795; doi:10.1037/amp0001661
The United States has seen sharp increases in efforts to enact anti-transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) legislation at the state level, including limits on access to gender-affirming care, restrictions on access to public facilities, and constraints on public gender expression and presentation. Although existing research demonstrates that structural stigma generally leads to poorer mental health outcomes for TGD individuals and that protective laws (e.g., antibullying and nondiscrimination laws) reduce such poor outcomes, the impact of newer anti-TGD state legislation on TGD mental health is unknown. Thus, the present study explores the relationship between state-level pro- and anti-TGD legislation and mental health outcomes of TGD Americans. Data are derived from the Healthy Minds Study from Spring 2022 to Spring 2023, yielding 8,149 TGD participants from 38 U.S. states. Multilevel modeling was used to examine relationships between state-level legislation passed in 2023 and individual-level mental health variables. Overall state-level anti-TGD legislation was marginally associated with greater suicidal ideation, whereas pro-TGD legislation was not associated with improved mental health. Sports-related anti-TGD laws predicted higher suicidal ideation, and bathroom-related laws predicted more suicide attempts for TGD young adults within their respective states. These results demonstrate the harm of anti-TGD state laws on TGD mental health and signal the potential devastating impact of newer anti-TGD federal policies on TGD suicide. Findings also highlight the importance of advocacy and civic engagement among clinicians working with TGD populations in order to effect structural changes that will improve TGD mental health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved)
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