By Conquering Their Own Fears, Following Their Child’s Lead And Tolerating Ambiguity – Parents Can Support A Child Who Comes Out As Trans
Young transgender, or trans, people face high rates of anxiety, depression and suicide. These elevated mental health risks largely stem from external factors such as discrimination, victimization and – most especially – family rejection rather than from being trans.
Em Matsuno, a research fellow at Palo Alto University, is currently developing and testing an online training program called the Parent Support Program to help parents better understand and support trans youth. They talked with The Conversation U.S. about their findings and how parents can be better advocates – and avoid common missteps – when a child identifies as trans or nonbinary.
What are common challenges parents with trans kids face?
A big one is fear. Parents fear for their child’s safety. For example, they fear their ...
