Transgender men and mental healthcare services in South Africa

Daya, Jude Anjuli

Transgender men and mental healthcare services in South Africa

Thesis / Dissertation

2026

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Department of Psychology

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Abstract

The mental healthcare needs of transgender men in South Africa are not being met. Transgender people face disproportionately high rates of mental illness, yet struggle to find mental healthcare that is sensitive to their needs. Transgender men remain an unseen, underserved subset of this already marginalised group. This research aimed to provide a platform for trans men to share their narratives about accessing mental healthcare. The researcher, a trans man, brings an insider perspective to trans mental health. Individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 17 adult transgender men and transmasculine individuals who had used mental healthcare services in South Africa. The interview transcripts were analysed using thematic narrative analysis, informed by queer theory and gender minority stress theory. Participants described ongoing challenges, which included everyday and medical discrimination, feelings of invisibility, imposed expectations of transness and masculinity, and the distress of gender dysphoria. This study highlights the significant maltreatment and transphobia that trans men experience from most mental healthcare services. Participant narratives indicate that most healthcare providers were misinformed about transness and treated patients as educators. This research provides insights into the challenges trans men navigate with mental healthcare, and offers recommendations for appropriate, sensitive care for this population.

Keywords

psychology

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