Experiences of families of adolescents with gender incongruence in the light of the Calgary Models for Families.
Paula Fernanda Lopes, Luciana de Lione Melo, Circéa Amália Ribeiro and 1 others
PMID 35876464WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of adolescents in gender transition described anguish over changed gender expectations, pronoun mistakes, and fear of prejudice, but also sought support through therapy and family groups.
These are family accounts for nursing assessment, not evidence that these supports work.
Key findings
01Eight parents of five adolescents in gender transition reported anguish about adjusting to their child's transition.
02Parents described practical stresses around names and pronouns, and fear of prejudice outside the home.
03All participating parents also described offering support, and they valued family groups for sharing stories and information.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included only eight parents of five adolescents from one outpatient clinic, so it cannot show how common these experiences are or apply to other families. Families were chosen because they attended outpatient activities more often, so parents who were less engaged may not be represented. It reported parents' experiences, not adolescents' own views, and did not test whether nursing assessment or family groups improved outcomes. The findings are qualitative themes, not effect sizes or causal evidence about transition support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that nurse-led family assessment or support groups reduce adolescent distress or improve transition outcomes. The study only described parents' experiences in eight families from one clinic and did not measure patient outcomes or compare an intervention.