State of the Science: Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth

Abstract

Gender-affirming care is a framework that has developed over the past two decades and has experienced a rapid proliferation of empirical evidence. Given increased attention to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth in sociocultural spheres, there is a need to examine the current evidence base for effective gender-affirming mental health treatment. In this State of the Science review, we highlight general treatment frameworks that best support TGD youth and families in a variety of contexts, using gender-affirming psychosocial approaches. We use groupings of presenting concerns for TGD youth and families outlined by Coyne et al. (2020) to highlight differing mental health support needs, emphasizing the need for individual, contextually-based care models that consider aspects of gender-related marginalization and resilience. We further discuss needs for care access and equity and need for further attention in future research and intervention approaches.