Needs and expectations of transgender children and adolescents and their parents with regard to child psychiatry support.
Sidonie Chhor
Keywords: transgender, childrens, mental illness, psychiatric care
Background:
Research around the support of transgender adults has developed since the 1980s in France, as part of a movement of depsychiatrization and self-determination, supported by the various militant associations. However, studies concerning the psychological and child psychiatric support of transgender children and adolescents remain relatively recent in France. While this population had a higher prevalence of internalized and externalized psychiatric disorders, and remained more exposed to social exclusion and school bullying.
Some studies have also highlighted the difficulty of access to care for transgender and gender non-conforming people, particularly with regard to primary care from general practitioners, in connection with several factors. Regarding mental health care, meeting with a psychologist or psychiatrist during the transition process can also be experienced as stigmatizing, and going against this desire for self-determination of transgender people.
The current care offer in child and adolescent psychiatry in the territory of Rennes, France does not include a reception specialized in the accompaniment of transgender children and adolescents.
Research questions:
The main objective of this study is to assess the expectations of children and adolescents concerning psychological and psychiatric support around transidentity and the transition process, as well as the different support strategies put in place.
The secondary objective is to collect parents' expectations around the mental health support of their child and their own support.
Method:
Qualitative study by semi-directed individual interviewing young people aged 5 to 16 who self-define as transgender or gender non-conforming, recruited in different places of care and as via social networks.
The variation criteria sought are age, gender, anteriority of transidentity evidence and social transition, family structure, sector of residence or socio-economic level.
The consent of the children and their parents will be collected.
A double coding of the verbatims will be done.
Results:
Conclusions:
Points for discussion:
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