Impact of Gender Identity Conflict on Mental Wellbeing with Mediating Role of Body Satisfaction in Emerging Adults

This research aimed to investigate the impact of conflicted gender identity on mental well-being with the mediating role of body satisfaction in emerging adults. A cross-sectional research design was used to collect data from the emerging adults with at least an intermediate level of education. Results indicated that gender identity conflict had a negative relationship, while body satisfaction had a significant positive relationship with mental well-being. When gender identity conflict decreases, mental well-being increases because a high score on the gender identity conflict questionnaire represents low gender dysphoria and a high score on the mental well-being questionnaire indicates good mental well-being. When body satisfaction increases, mental well-being also increases. Gender identity conflict and body satisfaction emerged as significant predictors of mental well-being. The result also showed that body satisfaction significantly mediated the relationship between gender identity conflict and mental well-being. This research helps in evaluating the recent rising trends of conflicted gender identity and body image in emerging adults, moreover, its adverse effects on mental wellbeing could be minimized.