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Research

Childhood and Adolescence Gender Role Nonconformity and Gender and Sexuality Diversity in Young Adulthood

To examine whether commonly used items measuring childhood conformity to gender roles are associated with sexual orientation in young adulthood.

Research

Affirming schools, population-level data, and holistic public health are key to addressing mental ill-health and substance use disparities among gender and sexuality diverse young people

Yael Perry BPsych (Hons) MPsych (Clin) PhD Program Head, Mental Health & Youth; Head, Youth Mental Health 08 6319 1298 yael.perry@thekids.org.au

Research

Experiences of parents of trans young people accessing Australian health services for their child: Findings from Trans Pathways

Many trans young people seek mental health support and gender-affirming medical interventions including puberty suppression, gender-affirming hormones and/or surgeries. Trans young people and their parents face multiple barriers in accessing gender-affirming care and mental health support, however little is known about the parent perspective on accessing services for their trans child.

Research

Transgender

Transgender is a term that includes people whose gender identity, gender expression, or behavior does not conform to conventional gender notions of male or female.

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The Role of the Avatar in Gaming for Trans and Gender Diverse Young People

A significant proportion of trans and gender diverse (TGD) young people report membership of the gaming community and resultant benefits to wellbeing. To date their experiences and needs regarding a key feature of games, the avatar, are largely unexplored, despite increasing interest in the therapeutic role of avatars in the general population. The aim of this study was to better understand the role of the avatar in gaming, its impact on TGD young people's mental health, and their unique needs regarding avatar design.

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Second-level hospital health professionals' attitudes to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents seeking health for their children

The aim was to assess health professionals' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents accessing healthcare.

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Transforming Families

We want to better understand the relationship between parents/carers and their children who identify as trans or gender diverse with the aim of improving the well-being of the whole family.

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Contextualising Experiences of Co-Occurring Mental Ill-Health and Substance Use Among Trans, Non-Binary, and Gender Diverse Young People: Implications for Tailored Harm Reduction Approaches

Though significant research highlights higher rates of mental ill-health and substance use among trans, non-binary and gender diverse (henceforth 'trans') young people, little research has considered patterns, contextual characteristics, and correlates of co-occurring experiences of mental ill-health and substance use among trans young people.

Research

Eating and exercise experiences of Australian trans and gender diverse folks: lived experience and stakeholder perspectives

Trans individuals face elevated health risks and socio-environmental challenges, influencing their engagement in health-protective behaviors (e.g. exercise and nutrition). Despite these challenges, there is a significant gap in understanding the specific eating and exercise experiences of Australian trans adults, including barriers to healthy behaviors and healthcare experiences. This study aims to address this gap by exploring these experiences, informing targeted interventions and healthcare practices to improve health outcomes.

Research

Computerized cognitive behavioural therapy for gender minority adolescents: Analysis of the real-world implementation of SPARX in New Zealand

SPARX is a form of computerized cognitive behavioural therapy in serious game format funded via the Ministry of Health to be freely available in New Zealand. At registration users identify themselves as male, female, transgender or intersex. We aimed to establish whether adolescent transgender users of SPARX, compared to adolescent male and female users, were more likely to have high mental health needs at baseline and were more likely to complete SPARX. We also sought to determine changes in transgender adolescents' depressive symptoms after using SPARX.