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Knowledge and confidence of clinicians in Irish CAMHS when working with transgender youth; and the factors clinicians report will assist them in this work

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2020

Sinéad Hodgins ,
Triona Byrne ,
Marelise Spies  and
Kevin Madigan
Sinéad Hodgins*
Affiliation:
National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland
Triona Byrne
Affiliation:
University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
Marelise Spies
Affiliation:
Trinity College Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
Kevin Madigan
Affiliation:
St. John of God Community Mental Health Services
*
*Address for correspondence: Sinéad Hodgins, B.A., MSc, Psychologist in Clinical Training, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. (Email: shodgin@tcd.ie)
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Abstract

Objectives:

The Health Service Executive (HSE) Quality Improvement Division (2016) report states that young people who identify as transgender are one of the highest risk groups for suicidal ideation, self-harm, and completed suicides and may require significant input in Irish Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). This research represents the first exploration of CAMHS staff’s capacity within an Irish mental health service to support transgender youth by considering their knowledge about and confidence in working with these youth.

Method:

A multi-method design was used to evaluate the knowledge and confidence levels of CAMHS clinicians in supporting transgender youth and to identify what factors would enable them to conduct this work. A questionnaire and a survey about supporting transgender youth were distributed to all clinicians in five Irish-based CAMHS services (N = 71), using an online platform. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with six clinicians. Quantitative, content, and thematic analyses were performed.

Results:

CAMHS staff reported limited knowledge and experience about supporting transgender youth. Findings indicated that both of these factors undermined their confidence in supporting these youths. Clinicians expressed a need for additional clinical education delivered through expert consultation, presentations, and learning from ‘experts by experience’.

Conclusion:

CAMHS clinicians need and want further clinical education about supporting transgender youth and their families. Recommendations are made for enhancing the knowledge, confidence, and competence of CAMHS clinicians using methods identified as acceptable by clinicians, in order to best support these youths.

Keywords

CAMHScliniciansconfidenceknowledgetrainingtransgender youth
Type
Original Research
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 40 , Issue 2 , June 2023 , pp. 228 - 237
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The College of Psychiatrists of Ireland

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Footnotes

‡

When originally published, the introduction for this article was erroneously moved to the end of the paper. This has now been corrected and a correction notice has been published.

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