57.2 PARENTS, PRONOUNS, AND PUBERTY DURING THE PANDEMIC: AFFIRMING CARE FOR THE GENDER-TRANSITIONING ADOLESCENT

Abstract

Objectives: Youth presenting with gender-identity concerns across development require a level of assessment that goes beyond what is typically taught in child and adolescent psychiatry residency. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic presented new, immediate challenges to deliver equitable care over telehealth to youth with varying levels of family acceptance at home, and with different levels of privacy for the youth to engage in confidential conversations. Complicated family situations (eg, divorced parents, disagreeing parents) often introduce a more difficult element to an already challenging situation. Working to understand the relationship between the youth’s gender presentation and other co-occurring mental health issues, often entails navigating these complicated systems and family situations very delicately. Methods: Through the use of clinical case vignettes and presentation of the available evidence regarding family support for youth with gender-identity issues, the presenter will illustrate the complexity of working with gender-diverse youth presenting with challenging family situations, both with telehealth and in the typical office setting. Results: Understanding the impact of challenging family situations on decision making with gender-diverse youth is important for child and adolescent psychiatrists when promoting positive outcomes for these youth. Conclusions: Addressing complicated family dynamics is a crucial part of the treatment frame for many youth presenting with gender-identity concerns. The lack of training that child and adolescent psychiatrists receive to manage these delicate situations can negatively affect patient outcomes. This session aims to mitigate those effects. SEX, TVM, FAM