Background Trans and non-binary people may be at increased risk of alcohol harms, but little is known about motives for drinking in this community. Aims This study explored the relationship between risk of alcohol dependence, experience of alcohol harms, drinking motives, dysphoria and discrimination within a United Kingdom sample of trans and non-binary people with a lifetime history of alcohol use. Methods A cross-sectional survey was co-produced with community stakeholders and administered to a purposive sample of trans and non-binary people from 1st February until 31st March 2022. A total of 462 respondents were included - 159 identified as non-binary and/or genderqueer (identities outside the man/woman binary), 135 solely as women, 63 solely as men, 15 as another gender identity, 90 selected multiple identities. Results Higher levels of reported discrimination were associated with higher risk of dependence and more reported harms from drinking. Coping motives, enhancement motives, and drinking to manage dysphoria were associated with higher AUDIT scores. Social, coping, and enhancement motives alongside discrimination and drinking to have sex were associated with harms. The relationship between discrimination and risk of dependence was mediated by coping motives and drinking to manage dysphoria. Conclusions: Further to these associations, we suggest that reducing discrimination against trans and non-binary communities might reduce alcohol harms in this population. Interventions should target enhancement motives, coping motives and gender dysphoria. Social and enhancement functions of alcohol could be replaced by alcohol free supportive social spaces.
Davies, Emma L. Ezquerra-Romano, IvanThayne, BethHolloway, ZhiBayliss, JacobO'Callaghan, StewartConnolly, Dean J.
Department of Psychology, Health and Professional Development
Year of publication: 2023Date of RADAR deposit: 2023-08-25
“This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Alcohol and Alcoholism following peer review. The version of record Emma L Davies, Ivan Ezquerra-Romano, Beth Thayne, Zhi Holloway, Jacob Bayliss, Stewart O’Callaghan, Dean J Connolly, Discrimination, gender dysphoria, drinking to cope, and alcohol harms in the UK trans and non-binary community, Alcohol and Alcoholism, Volume 59, Issue 1, January 2024, agad060 is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agad060 "