ItemArticle

Meaning-making, identity, and community: Cultural and religious influences on the mental health of transgender (Hijra) women in South India

Title
Meaning-making, identity, and community: Cultural and religious influences on the mental health of transgender (Hijra) women in South India
Creator
Paul Pudushery, Asha; Arur, Aditi Ashok
Description
Background: Hijra women in South India navigate mental health within contexts marked by structural exclusion, religious ambivalence, and complex kinship networks. While minority stress theory explains the psychological impact of stigma and discrimination, less attention has been paid to how culturally embedded meaning-making processes shape resilience and well-being in this population. Methods: This qualitative study draws on semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 13 self-identified Hijra women from Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. Interviews were conducted in regional languages and analyzed using Braun and Clarkes thematic analysis. The study integrates minority stress theory with a meaning-making framework to examine how cultural and religious contexts influence mental health, identity negotiation, and community relationships. Results: Three interconnected themes emerged: (1) Minority Stress and Systemic Oppression, characterized by family rejection, religious exclusion, public stigma, and economic marginalization; (2) Living in Ambivalence, reflecting both solidarity and constraint within Hijra kinship networks; and (3) Meaning-Making through Identity, Work, Community, and Spirituality. Educational attainment did not consistently translate into improved livelihoods or reduced distress. Participants constructed dignity and purpose through gender affirmation, creative and ethical livelihoods, contribution to others, and selective engagement with spiritual or ethical frameworks. Conclusions: Mental health among Hijra women is shaped by the interaction of structural exclusion and culturally embedded resources for meaning-making. Findings extend minority stress research by demonstrating how resilience emerges relationally within ambivalent social and religious environments. Culturally grounded mental health interventions must therefore address structural injustice while supporting community-based and meaning-oriented coping processes. 2026 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Source
International Journal of Transgender Health;
Date
01-01-2026
Publisher
Routledge
Subject
Community and kinship; Hijra women; mental health; minority stress; spiritual agency
Coverage
Paul Pudushery A., Psychology Department, Christ University, Bengaluru, India; Arur A.A., Psychology Department, Christ University, Bengaluru, India
Rights
Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library
Relation
ISSN: 26895269;
Format
online
Language
English
Type
Article

Citation

Paul Pudushery, Asha; Arur, Aditi Ashok, “Meaning-making, identity, and community: Cultural and religious influences on the mental health of transgender (Hijra) women in South India,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed June 18, 2026, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/22797.

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