ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Psychol.
Sec. Psychology for Clinical Settings
Anxiety Symptoms and Self-Reported Executive Functioning in Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Adults: Associations With Autistic Traits and Depression
1. Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States, North Carolina, 27599-7255
2. Brigham Young University, Provo, United States
3. Emory University, Atlanta, United States, Georgia, 30322
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Abstract
Background: Between 4.8% and 26% of adults presenting to gender dysphoria clinics have autism. Both autistic people and transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) people have higher rates of mental health conditions including anxiety and depression and more difficulties with executive functioning, all of which impact quality of life. Methods: We characterized relationships among mental health, gender nonconformity, and autism in a sample of 54 TGNC individuals, 44.4% of whom were autistic (29.6% formally diagnosed and 14.8% self-identified). Results: Anxiety was the strongest predictor of executive functioning scores, while the contributions of depression symptoms and autistic traits did not rise to the level of statistical significance. Conclusion: Findings suggest that clinicians can support TGNC autistic people by helping them with their mental health, particularly with managing their anxiety.
Summary
Keywords
Anxiety, autism, Autistic, Depression, executive functioning, gender identity
Received
31 March 2025
Accepted
27 January 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Mossa, Lundwall and South. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Rebecca A Lundwall
Disclaimer
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