ABSTRACT

The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful for many, increasing levels of anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns worldwide. With the spread of the virus, many youth found themselves physically isolated from their peers and confined to their homes, and medical and mental health services previously provided in person had to adapt by providing virtual sessions. The transition to virtual care created many new challenges for clinicians and patients, including some specific to transgender youth and their families. Pre-pandemic, transgender youth comprised a marginalized and vulnerable population, with elevated risk for adverse mental health outcomes. However, community support, strong group identification and family affirmation can serve as important mitigating factors. In this paper, we will discuss unique challenges encountered in working with the parents and caregivers of transgender youth during virtual visits that have the potential to interfere with development of a therapeutic alliance and the movement toward increased family acceptance. We will provide clinical case examples and propose methods through which to address difficulties and improve care.

摘要

COVID-19大流行给全球范围内越来越多的焦虑，抑郁和其他心理健康问题带来了压力。随着病毒的传播，许多年轻人发现自己与同龄人在身体上隔离开来，被局限在自己的家中，以前亲自提供的医疗和心理健康服务必须通过提供虚拟会议来适应。向虚拟护理的过渡给临床医生和患者带来了许多新挑战，包括一些针对跨性别青年及其家庭的挑战。大流行前的跨性别青年由边缘化和弱势人群组成，不良心理健康结果的风险较高。但是，社区的支持，强烈的群体认同感和家庭确认感可以作为重要的缓解因素。在本文中，我们将讨论在虚拟访问期间与跨性别青年的父母和照顾者合作时遇到的独特挑战，这些挑战可能会干扰治疗联盟的发展以及家庭接受度的提高。我们将提供临床案例，并提出解决困难和改善护理的方法。