IMPROVING THE ASSESSMENT OF CHILDREN AND YOUTH WHO PRESENT WITH GENDER DYSPHORIA: An investigation into patient and parent satisfaction

Abstract

Practitioners working with gender non-conforming children and youth ascribe to general guidelines based on the World Professional Association for Transgender Health Standards of Care for the Health of Transsexual, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming People (2012). These guidelines inform clinical practice and assessment and emphasize the need for gender affirming care, but they do not include strict treatment criteria. Consequently, there are multiple perspectives and approaches in the field regarding effective assessment and treatment of gender diverse and transgender clients. Given the ongoing debate around best practices, the current exploratory research study investigates the perspectives and satisfaction of transgender youth and their parents actively seeking out gender health assessments (e.g., hormone readiness assessments). Twenty-five parents and 22 youth who were accessing gender health services through a community outpatient clinic completed a questionnaire about the gender health assessment process. Survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, and portions analyzed using thematic analysis. Similar responsepatterns were found between groups and themes emerged surrounding the need for an individualized approach to care. This study aims to increase clinical understanding of the experiences of those seeking gender health assessment services to inform and improve practices to better serve this community.