An LGBTQIA mental health app launched a collection of digital wellness programmes targeted towards the trans community
BY YASMIN VINCE, IMAGE BY TED EYTAN VIA WIKICOMMONS
Voda, an LGBTQIA mental health app, has launched The Trans Library, the world’s largest free mental health resource to support the trans community.
The library contains 52 self-led digital wellness programmes designed to help the trans community cope with the mental health needs specific to the trans experience. It covers a multitude of topics including coping with gender dysphoria, misgendering, social media trolling and medical stigma.
The collection was created by a panel of trans therapists, who used their own experiences to help build the programme. Voda also surveyed over 2400 trans participants to ensure the library’s content was relevant, affirming and effective.
It is available for free on the Voda app and launched on 18 September. The library was created to help tackle the gap in targeted mental health resources for the UK trans community. This gap exists despite growing visibility and is made worse by long NHS wait times for gender-affirming care. According to NHS data from 2018-2023, these wait times can be up to five years.
Jaron Soh, CEO of Voda, said: “It should not be the sole responsibility of trans people to self-regulate and heal from the systemic trauma they are put through. We should be changing society to rid it of stigma.”
He added that, until that day comes, Voda hopes that the library provides a “much-needed safe space for trans people” to access the mental health support they need.
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