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Website for parents of trans youth to save lives

A new website for parents of trans children and young people across Australia is expected to improve family wellbeing and ultimately save lives after launching in May 2023.

A therapeutic exercise program for adolescents engaged in gender diversity services: study protocol for a non-randomised clinical trial

Despite the well-documented benefits of exercise for adolescents’ physical and mental health, exercise remains an underutilized strategy for improving the health of trans adolescents. This is notable because, compared to their cisgender peers, trans adolescents experience greater health challenges and systemic barriers to being physically active. To date, no research has evaluated an evidence-based exercise service within specialist paediatric gender services in Australia.

Psychometric evaluation of the Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory in autistic and non-autistic adults

Measures of autistic traits are only useful – for pre-diagnostic screening, exploring individual differences, and gaining personal insight – if they efficiently and accurately assess autism as currently conceptualised while maintaining psychometric validity across different demographic groups. We recruited 1322 autistic and 1279 non-autistic adults who varied in autism status (non-autistic, diagnosed autistic, self-identifying autistic) and gender (cisgender men, cisgender women, gender diverse) to assess the psychometric properties of the Comprehensive Autistic Trait Inventory, a recently developed measure of autistic traits that examines six trait domains using 42 self-report statements.

Investigation of associations between self-reported sensory processing, eating disorder symptoms, neurodivergence, and gender congruence from a lived experience lens

Eating disorders (EDs) are increasingly recognised among neurodivergent and transgender and gender diverse (TGD) individuals, yet most assessment and treatment models remain grounded in cisnormative and neuronormative assumptions and frameworks. Sensory processing, spanning interoception and exteroception, has been proposed as a potential factor that may help explain observed associations between neurodivergent traits, gender incongruence, and EDs. 

Gender Diversity

Not all children or teenagers identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. As a result, some may choose to change their name, their clothes or their body. With considerably higher rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm and attempted suicide, the need for specialist mental health services has been recognised.

Ensuring That Marginalized Young People Feel Welcome, Understood, and Empowered in Health Services: A Qualitative Examination of the Service Needs of Aboriginal LGBTQA+ Young People

A lack of appropriate care and discrimination in healthcare settings likely compounds the existing risks to mental health and well-being for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer/questioning, and asexual (LGBTQA+) young people. The current study contributes findings from Aboriginal LGBTQA+ young people's perspectives on their health service needs and preferences.

The Costs and Benefits of ‘Passing’: A Systematic Review of the Qualitative Evidence on Passing for Trans Individuals and Communities

Passing is a contentious issue within the trans community. Some trans people strive to pass as cisgender as an inherent goal or to reduce dysphoria, enhance safety, and potentially to facilitate acceptance. Others argue that trans people should not need to pass and that expectations to do so can cause harm to the trans community. This review aimed to systematically source and synthesize the existing qualitative literature that explores the costs and benefits of passing for trans people. 

Gender-Neutral Toilets: A Qualitative Exploration of Inclusive School Environments for Sexuality and Gender Diverse Youth in Western Australia

School toilets have been identified by sexuality and gender diverse (SGD) students as the least safe spaces in educational institutions. They are sites of verbal, physical and sexual victimisation.

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.

Mental health difficulties among trans and gender diverse young people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD): Findings from Trans Pathways

Recent research highlights an overlap of gender diversity and autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, data on individuals who are trans and also on the autism spectrum are largely from clinical samples and may not be representative of individuals who are trans with ASD in the general population. In addition, there is scant literature on the mental health of these individuals and their experiences in accessing gender-affirming care.