Student: Helen Morgan
Supervisors: Professor Ashleigh Lin and Associate Professor Yael Perry (The Kids’ Institute); Dr Renita Almeida and Ms Amanda O’Donovan (Murdoch University)
Contact: For more information please contact Helen Morgan
Plain language summary: Trans (transgender) and gender diverse (TGD) people identify as a gender that does not match their sex assigned at birth. TGD young people are at higher risk for mental health problems than cisgender (non-TGD) young people, experience more barriers to accessing face to face support services and report higher levels of negativity or rejection from their caregivers. This project involves a series of studies looking at the development of acceptance in trans and gender diverse (TGD) young people. It is focussed on two main areas: the role and importance of parental acceptance in supporting TGD young people and an exploration of how TGD young people currently use online resources to support their mental health. A program to help parents and caregivers to support their TGD young person is also being developed in collaboration with the Gender Diversity Service at Perth Children’s Hospital and the GENTLE (GENder identiTy Longitudinal Experience) cohort team at The Kids’ Institute.