A Pilot Group Program for Parents of Trans Young People at a Specialized Pediatric Gender Diversity Service

Abstract

Parental support is strongly associated with protective factors across a range of child health outcomes for trans young people. Commonly, parents report barriers to supporting their child such as lack of understanding and difficulty in accessing information and support regarding gender diversity. We aimed to provide foundational information, therapeutic support and resources for parents engaged with a pediatric gender diversity service, with the goals of improving parent-child relationship quality and increasing parental understanding, confidence, and support. Parents (N = 16) attended a therapeutic group-based program. Pre- and post-intervention measures captured parental knowledge of gender diversity and confidence in supporting their child, levels of negative emotional states, and parent-child relationship quality. Qualitative feedback primarily explored parents’ subjective experience of the group. Preliminary findings indicate greater reported understanding, confidence and support, improved levels of parental wellbeing, and high program acceptability. Peer connection, receiving good-quality information, and having a safe therapeutic space were cited as the most valuable program elements. Parents requested a longer program and most wanted it available at the outset of becoming aware of their child’s gender identity. Findings indicate that provision of a program combining evidence-based approaches, foundational information and peer support is viewed positively by parents and holds therapeutic promise.

Keywords:

• Adolescence
• parenting
• transgender
• intervention
• attachment
• gender diversity

Acknowledgments

We thank Professor Andrew Lewis of Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, for his permission to include content (The Family Life Cycle) in Session 2 from the Behavior Exchange Systems Therapy (BEST) program. We thank Dr. Renita Almeida and Ms. Amanda O’Donovan of Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia, for their input at the conceptualization stage of project planning.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

At the time of study completion H.M was supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship; A.L. is supported by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship [#1148793]; Y.P. is supported by a fellowship from the Giorgetta Charity Fund.