Gender Multispecialty Program (GeMS), Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
Inpatient Psychiatry Services, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024 Jun;63(6):576-580. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.05.021. Epub 2023 Jun 24.
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth, individuals whose gender identity is different from the sex that was assigned at birth, report higher rates of mental health and emotional challenges and are approximately twice as likely to access psychiatric inpatient services compared with cisgender peers. Existing research has suggested that the minority stress that TGD youth face from having to navigate transphobic cultural contexts and systems (eg, unsupportive parents/caregivers, school staff, peers) may play a key factor in mental health disparities, such as increased risk of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and nonsuicidal self-harm. These higher rates of mental health challenges among TGD youth offer an explanation as to why these youth access inpatient services significantly more frequently than cisgender peers. Research has found that TGD youth often experience discrimination during psychiatric inpatient admissions (eg, being misgendered during admission intake, facing stigmatization for an evolving gender identity, and receiving care from staff who have not been trained to provide gender-affirming care), despite professional organizations, such as the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, underscoring the importance of TGD youth receiving psychiatric care that is inclusive and affirming. Given that the inpatient setting offers a unique opportunity to facilitate positive and affirming changes for TGD youth, it is essential for providers to have a strong understanding of what affirmative care looks like within this context to best support this vulnerable patient population and reduce experiences of discrimination.
跨性别和性别多样化(TGD)青年,是指其性别认同与出生时被分配的性别不同的个体,他们报告称心理健康和情绪挑战的比率较高,并且与顺性别同龄人相比,他们获得精神病住院服务的可能性大约高出两倍。现有研究表明,TGD 青年在面对来自于带有歧视的文化环境和体系(例如,不支持的父母/照顾者、学校工作人员、同龄人)时所承受的少数群体压力,可能是心理健康差异的一个关键因素,例如增加抑郁、焦虑、自杀意念、自杀企图和非自杀性自伤的风险。这些 TGD 青年中更高的心理健康挑战比率解释了为什么这些青年比顺性别同龄人更频繁地获得住院服务。研究发现,TGD 青年在精神病住院期间经常经历歧视(例如,在入院时被误称性别,因为不断发展的性别认同而面临污名化,以及接受未经培训提供性别肯定护理的工作人员的护理),尽管专业组织,如美国儿童和青少年精神病学学会,强调 TGD 青年接受包容和肯定的精神卫生保健的重要性。鉴于住院环境为 TGD 青年提供了一个促进积极和肯定变化的独特机会,提供者必须深入了解在这种情况下肯定护理的样子,以最好地支持这个脆弱的患者群体并减少歧视的经历。