Spiritual Experiences of People with Gender Dysphoria

Subject Areas : Clinical psychology

Mehrdad Abdullahzadh ¹ , Nahid Heidari ²

1 - PhD candidate in nursing Tarbiat Modares University
2 - Master’s degree in medical-surgical nursing Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University

Received: 2022-01-08 Accepted : 2022-01-08 Published : 2021-09-23

Keywords: Spirituality, phenomenology, Gender Identity, gender dysphoria,

Abstract :

This  study aimed to investigate the spiritual experiences of people with gender dysphoria The search method was descriptive phenomenography in the forensic field of the south of Iran. 10 participants with Gender Dysphoria (4 biological females and 6 biological males) were selected by purposeful snowballing and were interviewed in-depth and semi-structured. Data were analyzed using the qualitative content analysis technique. In axial coding, while comparing categories and codes with each other, their relationship was examined, and finally, the main theme of desire for spirituality followed by general categories titled Resort, Acceptance, Destiny, and Relaxation was extracted from data analysis. Results showed that the spiritual experiences of transgender people cover a wide range of principles. The participants in the study cited the feelings of insecurity, fear of loneliness, and Finding identity as their main reasons for paying attention to spirituality. Findings suggest that in addition to the physical need, the spiritual dimension of transgender people's lives must be carefully considered to ensure their individual and social health.

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