Gender Dysphoria: Optimizing Healthcare for Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth with a Multidisciplinary Approach

Abstract

Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth and their families are seeking medical and mental health care at increasing rates. As the number of multidisciplinary pediatric gender programs expands, we consider the history and evidence base for gender affirmative care and highlight existing models of care that can flexibly accommodate the diverse needs of TGD youth and their families. Comprehensive multidisciplinary care includes both medical and mental health providers who work collaboratively with TGD youth and their caregivers to assess gender-related support needs and facilitate access to developmentally appropriate medical and mental health interventions. In addition to direct health-care services, multidisciplinary care for TGD youth and their families extends into community training, education, community outreach, nonmedical programming, and advocacy for TGD youth.

Gender-Diverse Patients’ Awareness and Utilization of Gender-Affirming Laryngological Services

“…each field's work can complement the other's to best support TGD patients' needs. 27 This type of collaboration can be more difficult to facilitate when providers' work is siloed into more traditional departmental structures. While familiarity with aspects of gender-affirming care such as hormone therapy and chest surgery has risen in the general public and the medical community, GALS have not received the same amount of attention.…”

“…26 When TGD health providers across disciplines, such as primary care, speech-language-pathology, and otolaryngology, work in proximity to each other as they often do in multidisciplinary programs, there are opportunities for training and education on how each field’s work can complement the other’s to best support TGD patients’ needs. 27 This type of collaboration can be more difficult to facilitate when providers’ work is siloed into more traditional departmental structures.…”

Transgender and non-binary adolescents assert individualised treatment goals for gender affirmation

“…An increasing number of adolescents and young adults seek medical care for gender affirmation 1. Approximately 0.6%–2.0% of adolescents and young adults identify as transgender and non-binary (TNB) 2.…”

“…Approximately 0.6%–2.0% of adolescents and young adults identify as transgender and non-binary (TNB) 2. TNB youth and their caregivers need to be engaged in the developmentally appropriate multidisciplinary care that encompasses gender-affirming medical care and support 1. Interventions to align physical attributes with gender identity may include support for social transition, medications, surgical options, cosmetic procedures, mental health services and referrals to other services 3.…”

Removing Barriers and Honoring Autonomy: Rethinking Mental Health Professional Assessments in Adolescent Gender-Affirming Medical Care

“…There are several potential configurations for multidisciplinary GAMC teams. 53,54 Clinical practices may opt for a coordinated care approach, scheduling regular meetings for discussing shared patients and referrals across pediatricians and adolescent medicine practitioners, MHPs, and other medical specialties within a hospital system. Alternatively, pediatricians and adolescent medicine practitioners may see patients alongside MHPs when needed.…”