TY - JOUR
T1 - TGNB persons, mental health, and gender binarism in Serbia
AU - Vidić, Jelena
AU - Bilic, Bojan
N1 - Bojan Bilić is a psychologist and political sociologist doing research on LGBTQ activisms, LGBTQ-affirmative psychotherapy, and the anthropology of non-heterosexuality and gender variance in the post-Yugoslav space. He is a Lise Meitner Fellow (senior post-doc) at the Research Unit Gender Studies, Faculty of Philosophy and Education, University of Vienna, funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), and an adjunct professor of Gender and Social Movements in South East Europe at the School of Political Sciences, University of Bologna (Forlì Campus). He was a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellow at the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, Centre for Gender and Sexuality Studies, University of Amsterdam, an EntE Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study - New Europe College in Bucharest, a Volkswagen New Dem Junior Fellow at the Central European University Institute for Advanced Study in Budapest, an FCT Fellow at the Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon, as well as a fellow at the Centre for Advanced Study of Southeastern Europe at the University of Rijeka. He holds a PhD in Slavonic and East European Studies (Political Sociology) from University College London.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Background: There are for the time being no systematic studies exploring transgender and non-binary (TGNB) mental health in the Serbian context which, over the last three decades, has been characterized by profound social transformations. Method: We draw upon 15 semi-structured interviews with members of a TGNB self-help group operating in Belgrade, Serbia. The material was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: We identified three elements of group operation: 1) information, support, and community, 2) navigating the medical/psychiatric system, and 3) dealing with gender binarism. While the group is important for helping its members navigate the medical system in terms of mental health professionals’ expectations regarding “proper” candidates for gender affirmation procedures, it has a hard time escaping a gender binarism that characterizes its social context. Conclusions: Despite significant improvements in the situation of TGNB people concerning psychiatric gatekeeping and legal gender recognition, the TGNB community is still marginalized with mental health being one of the main areas of marginalization. Activist organizations’ alternative forms of mental health care can help to transform mainstream mental health policies rendering them more sensitive to the needs of TGNB individuals.
AB - Background: There are for the time being no systematic studies exploring transgender and non-binary (TGNB) mental health in the Serbian context which, over the last three decades, has been characterized by profound social transformations. Method: We draw upon 15 semi-structured interviews with members of a TGNB self-help group operating in Belgrade, Serbia. The material was analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Results: We identified three elements of group operation: 1) information, support, and community, 2) navigating the medical/psychiatric system, and 3) dealing with gender binarism. While the group is important for helping its members navigate the medical system in terms of mental health professionals’ expectations regarding “proper” candidates for gender affirmation procedures, it has a hard time escaping a gender binarism that characterizes its social context. Conclusions: Despite significant improvements in the situation of TGNB people concerning psychiatric gatekeeping and legal gender recognition, the TGNB community is still marginalized with mental health being one of the main areas of marginalization. Activist organizations’ alternative forms of mental health care can help to transform mainstream mental health policies rendering them more sensitive to the needs of TGNB individuals.
KW - TGNB people
KW - gender binarism
KW - self-help group
KW - Serbia
KW - gender identity
KW - Geschlechtsidentität
KW - TGNB Personen
KW - Geschlechterbinarität
KW - Serbien
KW - Selbsthilfegruppe
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85103996847
U2 - 10.1080/19359705.2020.1850596
DO - 10.1080/19359705.2020.1850596
M3 - Article
SN - 1935-9713
VL - 25
SP - 155
EP - 174
JO - Journal of gay & lesbian mental health
JF - Journal of gay & lesbian mental health
IS - 2
ER -
