Citation

Thornburgh C, Kidd KM, Burnett JD, Sequeira GM. Pediatrics 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Academy of Pediatrics)

DOI

10.1542/peds.2020-0571

PMID

32973119

Abstract

Gender identity refers to an individual's innate sense of self in the context of gender and may not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Gender-diverse or transgender individuals are those who experience any discordance between their gender identity and sex assigned at birth. According to the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, gender-diverse identities are more prevalent than previously recognized, with 1.8% of high school-aged students identifying as transgender.1 Gender-diverse youth (GDY) experience high rates of discrimination and victimization as well as mental health disparities including increased depression, anxiety, and suicidality.1,2 Previous studies suggest that family support and acceptance have the potential to mitigate existing health disparities.2,3 Some parents experience anxiety or fear in response to learning their child's gender identity.4 They may lack understanding of gender-diverse experiences and knowledge of resources available, which can make it difficult for parents to affirm their child's identity.3 Parental support is beneficial for all young people and, given the health disparities that GDY experience, strategies to empower parents to better support their gender-diverse children should be explored.4,5

Peer support programs have been implemented to help parents of other pediatric patient populations increase their ability to navigate challenges when caring for their children,6,7 but this has not been well documented in parents of GDY. After reviewing peer support literature and consulting with parents of GDY, we conceptualized a theoretical framework (Fig 1) that identifies factors promoting …

Language: en