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Abstract
Trans and non-binary people face high rates identity-based discrimination, presenting as unfair employment termination, eviction, violence and harassment, and rejection for example. Researchers hypothesize that these frequent experiences of discrimination are one of the drivers of higher rates depression, anxiety, suicidality, and substance use. While there has been a significant increase in the number of studies examining risk factors and negative health outcomes among TNB people, there is still a lack of research examining protective factors and positive health outcomes, such as facilitative coping and resilience. This exploratory study aims to fill this gap by exploring how TNB individuals cope with discrimination and build resilience in response. For this study, 109 TNB people were recruited to participate in a 30-day, twice-a-day, ecological momentary assessment. All participants also completed a baseline and post-survey. Participants were asked about experiences of discrimination, coping strategies, resilience and their mental health. Individuals who reported higher levels of resilience at baseline, were less likely to report discriminatory events and maladaptive coping techniques. Additionally, using a mentorship coping style was associated with increasing scores of resilience over time. Findings from this study can be used to inform future research and interventions on building resilience in response to discrimination.