SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES OF PEOPLE WITH GENDER DYSPHORIA: A QUALITATIVE STUDY

Spirituality is a complex concept that affects the important life goals and is
experienced by every human being. Comprehension of what people who are diagnosed with gender
dysphoria understand about spirituality can help make sense of their individual and social needs and
concerns. The purpose of this study is to fathom and explain the spiritual experiences of transgender
people.
Methods & Materials: This is a qualitative and phenomenological research study in the forensic field
of the south of Iran. For this purpose, ten individuals with gender dysphoria (six Transfeminine, four
Transmasculine) were selected by purposeful snowball sampling and in-depth and semi-structured
interviews were utilized. Data were analyzed using theoretical coding.
Results: In axial coding, while comparing categories and codes with each other, their relationship was
examined and finally the general categories of Resort, Acceptance, Divine testing and Relaxation, and
the main theme of the strong desire for spirituality were extracted from data analysis.
Conclusion: The spiritual experiences of transgender people cover a wide range of principles. The
participants in the study cited the feelings of insecurity and fear of loneliness as their main reasons for
paying attention to spirituality. It can be concluded 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.