Psychoanalysis

Chromatography

Social psychology

Psychiatry

Developmental psychology

Generalizability theory

Computer science

Probability sampling

Gender identity

Filter (signal processing)

Environmental health

Men who have sex with men

Transgender women

Psychology

Transgender

External validity

Applied psychology

Sampling (signal processing)

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Population

Family medicine

Mental health

Syphilis

Medicine

Chemistry

Sample (material)

Clinical psychology

Computer vision

Transgender Health

Non-probability sampling methods utilize nonrandom research participant selection, which may generate study samples that are not representative of the general population. Non-probability sample studies are often regarded as inferior due to uncertainty about their generalizability and external validity. In reality, non-probability sampling offers advantages that make this method particularly valuable for minority health research. In this perspective article, we review the strengths and limitations of probability and non-probability samples, examining three landmark survey studies used to study transgender and gender diverse mental health. We conclude that both types of studies provide important and actionable data about mental health inequities experienced by minority populations.

The Importance of Non-Probability Samples in Minority Health Research: Lessons Learned from Studies of Transgender and Gender Diverse Mental Health