Our identity is our name connected with a specific face and body. Yet, our name, a critical aspect of the “names-body-identity” nexus is rarely self-selected. The naming of a newborn is often the purview of family and the name selected is often linked to the sex assigned to the child. Assigned sex, however, may differ from gender identity. Renaming, the process of selecting and using a new name, can be instrumental in expressing an authentic gender identity. Thus, gender identity and renaming were examined among transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) adults using an online survey. Participants indicated that the recognition of their gender identity often involved the renaming of self or the use of a new name reflective of that gender identity. Several factors influenced name selection including input from familial sources. This exploratory study offers insight into the connection between gender and naming strategies in an adult TGNC population.

Ensuring that mental health professionals are appropriately trained to provide affirming and sensitive care to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults is one mechanism that may reduce the marginalization sometimes experienced by TGD adults in mental health contexts. In this study, mental health professionals (n = 142) completed an online survey documenting the sources and types of training received to provide TGD-sensitive care; and, shared a self-assessment of their comfort, competence, and ability to provide TGD-sensitive care. Findings revealed that the majority of the mental health professionals in the study (approximately 81%) received specific training to work with TGD clients from a variety of sources. These mental health professionals also self-reported high levels of comfort, competence, and ability to offer TGD-sensitive care which were statistically significantly associated with the number of hours of TGD-specific training they had received.

The ascription of gender based on the phonological structure of personal names has been documented independently at varying points of time in several countries. This study adds to this work by examining whether the phonology of gendered names is valid synchronically in cross-linguistic comparisons and diachronically across different decades in two linguistically different countries: Korea and the U.S.A. Two types of data were collected: (1) historical onomastic data from birth registries in the Supreme Court of Korea and the Social Security Administration in the U.S.A. from 1940 to 2020, and (2) online survey data from students in Korea and the U.S.A. The results showed a clear pattern of gendered phonology of vowels in names in the U.S.A. through the decades under review. Female names had more vowels and were more likely to end in “a”, “e”, or “i”, unlike male names. In comparison, the pattern in Korean names changed over the decades. In the earlier decades (1940–1999), there was a clear distinction between male and female names based on phonology, especially vowels “a”, “e”, and “i”. Post-2000, however, this distinction was markedly reduced.

A common strategy in naming a newborn is “namesaking,” that is, the practice of naming the newborn after a specific family member. Namesaking may be considered a unique form of parental investment, advertising the connection between the newborn and specific kinfolk. Namesaking patterns were assessed in rural, south-central Nebraska by examining 841 birth announcements printed in a local newspaper during the calendar years 1994 and 2014. Results indicated that male newborns were significantly more likely to be namesaked than female newborns; first-born children were more likely to be namesaked than later-born children; and namesaked newborns were more likely to be named after paternal relatives than maternal relatives. These findings suggest that namesaking may be a way of preserving familial connections within rural, south-central Nebraska.

Background/Objectives: The availability of accessible health information outside of traditional healthcare settings has transformed patient engagement in shared decision-making (SDM) with healthcare providers. However, the challenge of navigating misinformation complicates SDM, highlighting the critical role of trust, especially when patient-achieved information conflicts with professional advice. This study examines the association between patients’ health information behavior (HIB) and SDM, emphasizing the role of patients’ trust in healthcare providers. Methods: Utilizing data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), this research explores how trust mediates the relationship between HIB and SDM. We conducted factor analysis, mediation analysis, and moderated mediation analysis to assess our hypotheses. Results: Factor analysis identified two main HIB dimensions: emotional responses and utilization of social media. Emotional responses positively influenced SDM, enhancing trust and decision-making involvement. In contrast, utilization of social media negatively influenced SDM through decreased trust. Mediation analysis confirmed trust in physicians as a crucial mediator, particularly when emotional responses foster trust and engagement. Moderated mediation showed that high healthcare quality amplified the positive mediation effects of trust, underscoring its role in effective SDM. Conclusions: This study highlights the significant role of trust in enhancing patient engagement in SDM through HIB. High perceived healthcare quality also strengthens trust, improving SDM outcomes. The study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of the interplay between HIB, trust, and SDM, suggesting that enhancing patient-centered care requires fostering trusted patient–physician relationships.

Experiences of stigma and acceptance profoundly affect the lives of sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals and are often dependent on context, such as geographic location. Through interviews with twenty sexual and gender minority individuals living in Nebraska, this study aimed to explore participants’ experiences of rejection and acceptance in different spheres to better understand how stigma operates. Thematic analysis revealed primary themes of Stigma and Discrimination and Signs of Support. However, reports of stigma and acceptance were often complex and intertwined. For example, participants described that receiving support from others categorized as merely “tolerant” is positive, given their expectations of rejection when living in a politically conservative state. These findings offer a contextualized understanding of how stigma and support affect SGM individuals at individual, interpersonal, community, and political levels in an underserved state.