Healthcare communication satisfaction and psychosocial outcomes in adolescents and young adults with differences of sex development

Abstract

ObjectivesWe examined: (1) healthcare communication satisfaction and psychosocial outcomes (resilience, QoL, and psychological adjustment) in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with differences of sex development (DSD), (2) differences in psychosocial outcomes between those who were highly satisfied and those who were less satisfied, and (3) group differences between adolescents (ages 12–17) and young adults (ages 18–26) regarding associations with healthcare communication and psychosocial outcomes. MethodsAYA with DSD across four study sites reported on satisfaction with healthcare communication and psychosocial outcomes. Analyses included descriptive statistics (aim 1), independent samples t-tests (aim 2), and Pearson’s correlations (aim 3). ResultsParticipants reported high levels of satisfaction with healthcare communication. Higher healthcare communication satisfaction was associated with greater resilience (p = .01), better QoL (p = .02), and fewer internalizing problems (p = .04). For adolescents, higher healthcare communication satisfaction was associated with better psychosocial outcomes (p values ranging from.01–.04). No significant associations were found in the young adult group. ConclusionsSatisfaction with healthcare communication is related to positive psychosocial outcomes in adolescents with DSD. Practice ImplicationsThese data underscore the importance of optimizing communication with families, engaging AYA in early and ongoing discussions about their care, and including psychosocial providers in DSD care.