The relationship between aggression and social anxiety with traumaticexperiences in transgender individuals

Objective: Sexual identity dysphoria syndrome (SIDS) is a clinical condition in which there is an incompatibility between the physical sex and sexual identity. Transsexuality includes the feeling of belonging to the opposite sex, in addition to being disturbed by the sex. Individuals suffering from gender dysphoria may face discrimination and violence at various levels. In transsexual individuals, mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and suicide are often observed due to social isolation. Due to such traumatic life experiences exposed from the early stages of life, aggressive attitudes and behaviors in transsexual individuals may be higher than other individuals of the community. In this study, we investigated the relationship between social anxiety, aggression levels, and traumatic experiences in transsexual individuals aged 18-65 who admitted to Cukurova University Faculty of Medicine Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic. We also investigated the differences between transsexual and nontranssexual individuals. Materials and Methods: Our research is a cross-sectional study conducted at Çukurova University Faculty of Medicine Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic. The participants of the study consist of 100 transsexual individuals and 86 non-transsexual individuals. Participants filled out a sociodemographic data form. The Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Buss-Perry Aggression Scale, and Traumatic Experiences Scale were used to determine the presence of social anxiety, aggression, and traumatic experiences. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between social anxiety and social avoidance scores among transsexual and non-transsexual individuals. Total aggression, physical aggression, anger, and hostility scores, and trauma scores experienced in adolescence were significantly higher in the transsexual group. There is a significant relationship between suicidal history and social anxiety, social avoidance, total aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility scores in the transsexual group. Conclusion: Traumatic experiences, especially in the early stages of life, can leave traces in individuals throughout life and cause other traumas. This can cause psychiatric comorbidities and aggression in transsexual individuals that can result in suicide attempts. Being aware of social isolation and related problems when working with transgender individuals will contribute to improving mental health and social problems. Keywords: transsexualism, aggression, social anxiety, trauma