# Artistic and Playful Resources as Mental Health Support in the Life Trajectories of Trans and Gender-Diverse People: A Qualitative Study from a Public Health Perspective

## TL;DR

This study explores how artistic and playful activities help trans and gender-diverse people manage mental health challenges, offering insights for more inclusive public health approaches.

## Contribution

The study introduces qualitative evidence on non-biomedical mental health resources for trans and gender-diverse individuals, emphasizing life-course and social determinants.

## Key findings

- Artistic and playful practices help trans and gender-diverse individuals regulate emotions and cope with minority stress.
- These practices foster identity affirmation and social connection despite stigma and discrimination.
- Integrating non-biomedical resources into mental health strategies can improve equity and inclusivity.

## Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
Trans and gender-diverse mental health inequalities are associated with structural stigma and restricted access to affirmative health services.Non-biomedical practices operate as informal mental health resources across trans and gender-diverse life trajectories.

Trans and gender-diverse mental health inequalities are associated with structural stigma and restricted access to affirmative health services.

Non-biomedical practices operate as informal mental health resources across trans and gender-diverse life trajectories.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
The study contributes to public health by providing qualitative evidence of mental health support mechanisms beyond biomedical and clinical frameworks.It advances life-course and social determinants approaches to trans and gender-diverse mental health using qualitative evidence.

The study contributes to public health by providing qualitative evidence of mental health support mechanisms beyond biomedical and clinical frameworks.

It advances life-course and social determinants approaches to trans and gender-diverse mental health using qualitative evidence.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
Mental health policies may integrate non-biomedical and culturally situated practices as complementary care strategies.Public health research should incorporate everyday and community-based resources in trans and gender-diverse mental health models.

Mental health policies may integrate non-biomedical and culturally situated practices as complementary care strategies.

Public health research should incorporate everyday and community-based resources in trans and gender-diverse mental health models.

Trans and gender-diverse (TGD) people experience significant mental health inequalities. These disparities are associated with structural stigma, social exclusion, and persistent barriers to accessing health services, representing a critical public health issue. Although existing research has largely emphasized biomedical and clinical responses, less is known about non-biomedical resources that support mental health across life trajectories. This qualitative study explored, based on participants’ narratives, how artistic and playful resources contribute to mental health across life trajectories, considering contexts of social inequities and social determinants of health. Four trans and gender-diverse participants aged 18–27 years were recruited through snowball sampling and took part in two in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted remotely. Data were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis combining deductive and inductive coding. Findings indicate that artistic and playful practices were described as non-biomedical resources for emotional regulation, coping with minority stress, identity affirmation, and social connection across different life stages. These practices were narrated as helping participants manage psychological distress associated with stigma, discrimination, and limited access to affirmative mental health care. From a public health perspective, the results underscore the importance of recognizing culturally situated, everyday expressive practices as complementary forms of mental health support. Integrating such resources into broader mental health strategies may contribute to more comprehensive, equitable, and non-pathologizing public mental health approaches for trans and gender-diverse populations.