Assessment of psychological personality traits in transgender groups using the Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory

Objective: To explore the psychological personality characteristics of transgender groups and to determine whether these characteristics differ according to sociodemographic factors.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2021 and April 2023 at a psychosexual outpatient clinic in a psychiatric hospital in Beijing, China. In total, 481 individuals were included in this study, and demographic information was collected using a self-administered general questionnaire. Psychological personality traits were assessed using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI).

Results: The mean scores of the assigned male at birth (AMAB) group were significantly higher than those of the male controls for all 10 clinical factors of the MMPI (p < 0.01 or p < 0.001). The scores for both the Masculinity-femininity (Mf) and Depression (D) factors in the AMABs group exceeded the clinical threshold (T > 60) and were the highest and second-highest scores on the entire scale, respectively. Individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB) had significantly higher scores than female controls for Hysteria (Hy), Psychopathic Deviate (Pd), and Hypomania (Ma) (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001, respectively). There were significant differences in the rates of abnormal values for the various factors of the MMPI (T > 60) according to gender, age, and education (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001, respectively). Compared to AFABs, AMABs had higher rates of abnormal scores (T > 60) on the Hypochondriasis (Hs), D, Hy, Mf, Paranoia (Pa), Psychasthenia (Pt), Schizophrenia (Sc), and Social Introversion (Si) scales (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001, respectively). Second, the transgender group aged ≤25 years had higher rates of abnormal scores (T > 60) on the Hs, D, Hy, Pd, Pa, Pt, Sc, and Ma scales (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001, respectively). Finally, outliers (T > 60) for the Hs, D, Hy, Pd, Pa, Pt, Ma, and Si factors were more prevalent among those with a primary to high school level of education (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, and p < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion: Assigned male at births may have a variety of psychological vulnerabilities, and there is a need to focus especially on those with a primary to high school level of education, those aged ≤25 years, and transgender females.