Internalized Transnegativity, Self-Warmth, Self-Coldness, and Eating Disorder Symptomatology Among Transgender and...

Eating disorders (EDs) are highly prevalent among transgender and nonbinary (TNB) adults, and internalized transnegativity is a key risk factor for ED symptomatology. Although extant literature has established that self-compassion protects against EDs among the cisgender population, research among TNB adults is nascent. The current study sought to identify whether internalized transnegativity and components of self-compassion (i.e., self-warmth and self-coldness) were independently associated with ED symptomatology, and whether the components of self-compassion moderated the relation between internalized transnegativity and ED symptomatology. An international sample of 127 TNB adults aged between 18 and 69 years (M = 32.24, SD = 11.12) completed the Transgender Identity Survey, the Self-Compassion Scale, and the Screen for Disordered Eating via an online survey. Simple linear regression models were run, followed by moderation analyses. Internalized transnegativity and self-coldness were associated with ED symptomatology, but self-warmth was not. Self-warmth and self-coldness did not moderate the relation between internalized transnegativity and ED symptomatology. The results highlight that self-coldness and, to a lesser extent, internalized transnegativity account for a significant portion of the variance in ED symptomatology among TNB adults. Although these effect sizes were small, they have important clinical implications. Future research should take alternative analytical approaches to examine how self-warmth, self-coldness, and internalized transnegativity are related to ED symptomatology among TNB adults.