AUTHOR=Chang Ruijie , Wang Huwen , She Rui , Zhang Shuxian , Tsamlag Lhakpa , Shen Qiuming , Shi Yue , Wang Zixin , Lau Joseph T. F. , Wang Ying , Cai Yong 

TITLE=Feelings of Entrapment and Defeat Mediate the Association Between Self-Esteem and Depression Among Transgender Women Sex Workers in China

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02241

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02241

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Transgender women sex workers have a high prevalence of depression. Low self-esteem and subsequent involuntary subordination (characterized by feelings of defeat and entrapment) are well-documented risk factors for depression. The object of the present study was to investigate the mediating effect of feelings of entrapment and defeat on the relationship between self-esteem and depression among transgender women sex workers in China.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shenyang and Guangzhou in 2017. Participants were 198 transgender women sex workers who completed a structured questionnaire assessing background characteristics, self-esteem, feelings of entrapment and defeat, and depression. Linear regression was used to test the mediation hypotheses.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Of participants, 25.25% exhibited high levels of depression. Self-esteem scores were negatively correlated with depression scores (<italic>r</italic> = −0.54, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05, <italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup><sub>adj</sub> = 0.23), defeat scores (<italic>r</italic> = −1.68, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05, <italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup><sub>adj</sub> = 0.31), and entrapment scores (<italic>r</italic> = −1.67, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05, <italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup><sub>adj</sub> = 0.25). In the mediation hypothesis model, entrapment (<italic>r</italic> = 0.21, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) and defeat (<italic>r</italic> = 0.08, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.05) had a complete mediating effect on the relationship between self-esteem (Spearman’s <italic>r</italic> = −0.06, <italic>p</italic> = 0.36) and depression (<italic>R</italic><sup>2</sup><sub>adj</sub> = 0.61).</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>Feelings of entrapment and defeat mediated the association between self-esteem and depression. More focus is needed on monitoring feelings of defeat and entrapment among transgender women sex workers to mitigate the risk of depression.</p></sec>