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. 2023;35(2):204-217.
doi: 10.1080/10538720.2022.2056782. Epub 2022 Apr 1.

Educational preparedness to care for transgender and gender diverse adults: Perspectives of mental health professionals

Sharon N Obasi  1 , Robyn King Myers  1 , Natalie Holt  2 , Richard Mocarski  3 , Debra A Hope  2 , Nathan Woodruff  4
Affiliations

Educational preparedness to care for transgender and gender diverse adults: Perspectives of mental health professionals

Sharon N Obasi et al. J Gay Lesbian Soc Serv. 2023.

Abstract

Ensuring that mental health professionals are appropriately trained to provide affirming and sensitive care to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults is one mechanism that may reduce the marginalization sometimes experienced by TGD adults in mental health contexts. In this study, mental health professionals (n=142) completed an online survey documenting the sources and types of training received to provide TGD-sensitive care; and, shared a self-assessment of their comfort, competence, and ability to provide TGD-sensitive care. Findings revealed that the majority of the mental health professionals in the study (approximately 81%) received specific training to work with TGD clients from a variety of sources. These mental health professionals also self-reported high levels of comfort, competence, and ability to offer TGD-sensitive care which were statistically significantly associated with the number of hours of TGD-specific training they had received.

Keywords: education; mental healthcare; training; transgender and gender diverse (TGD).

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure Statement No competing financial interests exist.

Figures

Figure1.
Figure1.
Self-report of mental health professionals' comfort, competence and ability to provide TGD-sensitive care and number of hours of TGD-specific training received.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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