Ambiguous loss experience and well-being in families of transgender people
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Abstract
The trans experience implies a complex process of elaboration of meanings throughout the family system where mothers and fathers of trans people may experience feelings of ambiguous loss and show alterations in well-being related to minority stress. The objective of this study was to analyze the experience of loss, as well as its relationship with emotional intelligence and well-being in relatives of trans people. The participants were 78 mothers and fathers of trans people from all over the Spanish territory, 67 cis women (85.9%) and 11 cis men (14.1%) aged between 21 and 60 years (M = 46.27; DT = 6.74). The Spanish adaptation of the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Scale of Positive and Negative Affects (SPANE) and the Trait Scale of Metaknowledge on Emotional States (TMMS-24) were administered and descriptive analyzes, mean differences, bivariate correlations and multiple linear regression analysis were performed. The results suggest that there were no differences in well-being based on experiencing ambiguous loss or not, or based on gender ir age. In all families, emotional intelligence explained well-being, but in people with an ambiguous sense of loss this prediction was only significant in positive affects (R2 = .24; p<.01). In conclusion, emotional intelligence functions as a protective factor in well-being, but this effect is reduced when ambiguous loss is experienced. Thus, there is evidence of the need to investigate more about variables such as ambiguous loss that may be involved in the transition process, as well as the role of the family and well-being in trans experiences that may be relevant in the field of intervention and accompaniment.
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