A systematic review of interventions with families of trans people

Abstract

Introduction Trans people experience poorer mental health than their cisgender counterparts, likely as a result of minority stress. Caregivers can contribute to minority stress through discrimination, rejection and lack of acceptance. Interventions with family members may provide a way to address conflict and lack of acceptance of gender within the family. Method A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. Searches were conducted in PsycInfo, Embase, MEDLINE, Cinahl Plus and ProQuest Theses and Dissertations databases on 16 February 2024 to identify concepts relating to “transgender” and “family intervention.” Results Seven studies were included in the review. Four evaluated interventions relating to family therapy, two to caregiver support groups, and one to an online psychoeducational programme. Outcomes related to mental health were reported on most commonly with positive results; however, overall study quality was poor, and study designs varied. Discussion More studies on the efficacy of family-based interventions with trans people have been published in recent years. Due to heterogeneity, the conclusions that can be drawn from this review are limited. Recommendations are made for increasing the quality of future studies. The recent increase in studies assessing family interventions with trans people is an encouraging sign, and several interventions were identified that show promise in the ways they have adapted for the needs of trans people.