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Demonstrating Attachment-Based Family Therapy for Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth with Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior: A Case Study
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Demonstrating Attachment-Based Family Therapy for Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth with Suicidal Thoughts and Behavior: A Case Study

Jody Russon, Lauren Smithee, Samantha Simpson, Suzanne Levy and Guy Diamond
Family process, v 61(1)
Mar 2022
PMID: 34046893
url
https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12677View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)Open Access (License Unspecified) Open

Abstract

Adolescent Family Therapy Gender Identity Humans Suicidal Ideation Suicide, Attempted - prevention & control Transgender Persons
Suicide is a growing public health issue among adolescents. While the majority of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth are healthy, many experience suicidal thoughts and behavior (STB). Due to discrimination and stigma, TGD youth attempt suicide at higher rates then heterosexual, cisgender and even cisgender, LGBQ youth. Despite this vulnerability to suicide, few treatments have been developed and tested for this population. One treatment, attachment-based family therapy (ABFT) has been adapted to work with LGBQ youth and may be promising for TGD adolescents at risk for suicide. This article provides an overview of our ABFT modifications for TGD youth with thoughts of suicide. Specifically, we illustrate how treatment outcomes, in a single case study, relate to processes within clinical treatment tasks. The case study demonstrates the application of these ABFT modifications with a self-identified, gender nonconforming adolescent (who had recently attempted suicide) and his caregivers. Treatment evaluation measures were collected over the course of 24 weeks to illustrate the youth's clinical progress. The youth's suicidal symptoms diminished markedly by the end of treatment. Further, the family reported an increased ability for problem solving and more open communication by treatment conclusion.

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26 citations in Scopus

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UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This publication has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#5 Gender Equality
#3 Good Health and Well-Being

InCites Highlights

Data related to this publication, from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool:

Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Family Studies
Psychology, Clinical
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