Search the site

Affirming schools, population-level data, and holistic public health are key to addressing mental ill-health and substance use disparities among gender and sexuality diverse young people

Yael Perry BPsych (Hons) MPsych (Clin) PhD Head, Youth Mental Health 08 6319 1298 yael.perry@thekids.org.au Head, Youth Mental Health @yaelperry she/

An Exploration of LGBTQA+ Young People’s Coping Strategies When Navigating Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors

LGBTQA+ young people experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors at a much greater rate than their heterosexual and cisgender peers. This study explored firsthand accounts of the coping strategies employed by LGBTQA+ young people when experiencing suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

A critical discussion of pediatric gender measures to clarify the utility and purpose of “measuring” gender

Pediatric gender clinics and researchers commonly use scales to measure different dimensions of gender (e.g. identity, dysphoria, satisfaction). There has been little investigation into the relevance and consumer acceptability of these scales within contemporary understandings and experiences of gender.

Knowledge is Power: Trans Young People’s Perceptions of Parental Reactions to Their Gender Identity, and Perceived Barriers and Facilitators to Parental Support

Parental support is strongly correlated with protective factors for trans youth, however, most experience unsupportive parental attitudes. We aimed to better understand how youth perceive parental reactions to their gender identity disclosure and what they consider to be barriers to, and facilitators of, support.

Mental ill-health and substance use among sexuality diverse adolescents: The critical role of school climate and teacher self-efficacy

Mental ill-health, substance use and their co-occurrence among sexuality diverse young people during earlier adolescence is relatively understudied. The preventive utility of positive school climate for sexuality diverse adolescents' mental health is also unclear, as well as the role of teachers in conferring this benefit.

Join the Youth Mental Health LGBTQ+ reference group

The Youth Mental Health team is looking for a diverse group of young people to help inform research into mental health in LGBTIQ+ young people.

New website provides tools and resources for parents of gender diverse children and young people

Transforming Families is providing evidence-based resources to help support the mental wellbeing of young people questioning their gender identity, or who identify as trans or gender diverse.

Trans Pathways provides evidence base to improve mental health of Trans Youth

A ground-breaking survey by The Kids researchers has become the new reference point to guide policy change and educate health providers to better support trans and gender-diverse youth in Australia.

Trans Pathways breaks down barriers for Trans Youth

When Trans Pathways ambassador Drew, 17, came out as trans three years ago, the biggest hurdle for him was the availability of services and the time it took to access support.

My child is trans – how do I support them?

Raising a child in one gender and then having them identify as another at any stage in their life can be difficult for a parent to understand and is not always an easy shift for a parent to make.