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Dissociative Experiences Among Transgender Women : A Phenomenological Study

Sigurdsson, Erika and Cardeña, Etzel LU orcid (2024) In Journal of Trauma and Dissociation
Abstract
There is little published research on dissociative experiences among transgender people, and none from an in-depth qualitative perspective. In-depth, open-ended interviews (N = 7, 6 trans women, 1 trans man) were conducted to explore how dissociation is experienced (particularly among trans women)
and its possible relation to negative emotions. There were several similarities across the dissociative experiences described by participants: six felt themselves disconnected from their body as a whole (in contrast to feeling disconnected to
a specific body part), and from the world around them and/or themselves. Four acted out different personalities, and five felt emotionally numb when they were dissociating. Six participants described... (More)
There is little published research on dissociative experiences among transgender people, and none from an in-depth qualitative perspective. In-depth, open-ended interviews (N = 7, 6 trans women, 1 trans man) were conducted to explore how dissociation is experienced (particularly among trans women)
and its possible relation to negative emotions. There were several similarities across the dissociative experiences described by participants: six felt themselves disconnected from their body as a whole (in contrast to feeling disconnected to
a specific body part), and from the world around them and/or themselves. Four acted out different personalities, and five felt emotionally numb when they were dissociating. Six participants described that their dissociation lessened after they started hormone therapy. Respondents tended to distinguish between dysphoric and dissociative experiences: dysphoric phenomena were more clearly distressful while dissociative ones were more emotionally numb. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
dissociation, depersonalization, trangender, gender dysphoria
in
Journal of Trauma and Dissociation
publisher
Haworth Press
ISSN
1529-9740
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
d292f49e-1c6a-4ed1-aecf-b9d68050f65a
date added to LUP
2024-07-03 08:16:14
date last changed
2024-07-03 11:40:40
@article{d292f49e-1c6a-4ed1-aecf-b9d68050f65a,
  abstract     = {{There is little published research on dissociative experiences among transgender people, and none from an in-depth qualitative perspective. In-depth, open-ended interviews (N = 7, 6 trans women, 1 trans man) were conducted to explore how dissociation is experienced (particularly among trans women)<br/>and its possible relation to negative emotions. There were several similarities across the dissociative experiences described by participants: six felt themselves disconnected from their body as a whole (in contrast to feeling disconnected to<br/>a specific body part), and from the world around them and/or themselves. Four acted out different personalities, and five felt emotionally numb when they were dissociating. Six participants described that their dissociation lessened after they started hormone therapy. Respondents tended to distinguish between dysphoric and dissociative experiences: dysphoric phenomena were more clearly distressful while dissociative ones were more emotionally numb.}},
  author       = {{Sigurdsson, Erika and Cardeña, Etzel}},
  issn         = {{1529-9740}},
  keywords     = {{dissociation; depersonalization; trangender; gender dysphoria}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Haworth Press}},
  series       = {{Journal of Trauma and Dissociation}},
  title        = {{Dissociative Experiences Among Transgender Women : A Phenomenological Study}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/190461888/Dissociative_Experiences_Among_Transgender_Women_A_Phenomenological_Study.pdf}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}