Background: The aim of this paper is the systematic review of psychological/psychosocial interventions for gender diverse youth under 18 years of age and their families, based on the published protocol: PROSPERO 2020 CRD42020163995.
Methods: A search strategy was developed using key terms. An electronic literature search was completed using the following data bases (OVID MEDLINE; EBSCO CINAHL; ProQuest MEDLINE; OVID PsycINFO). Only studies published in English between 2001-2021 were included. This review is based on PRISMA guidance. Studies meeting inclusion criteria were quality appraised using the Mixed Methods Assessment Tool (MMAT).
Results: 8405 studies were independently screened. Four studies met the inclusion criteria for the study. Parents of transgender youth attended between one and 11 psychological/psychosocial group interventions. Parents reported reduced isolation and increased knowledge, which enabled them to advocate for their young person`s needs. Psychological/psychosocial group interventions were creating challenges in terms of group processes, with some parents dominating interactions. Psychological/psychosocial group interventions were positive for parents, but no outcomes were collected for transgender young people.
Conclusion: More research is required to understand the role of group facilitators, the optimal group size and the number of psychological/psychosocial intervention sessions required.
Keywords: Systematic review; children; families; gender diversity; gender dysphoria; interventions; psychological; psychosocial; therapy; transgender; young people.