Attitudes and behaviours of mental health professionals in the care of transgender people: A qualitative study

Abstract

WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Mental health professionals' beliefs about transgender individuals vary, often influenced by stereotypes. There's recognition of healthcare needs, but limited knowledge impacts decision-making. Stereotypes persist regarding why transgender individuals seek mental health care. WHAT THE PAPER ADDS TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: Professionals' attitudes show both positive support and negative, discriminatory views. Lack of training and knowledge gaps hinder effective care for transgender individuals. Pathologising attitudes exist, associating gender diversity with mental health conditions. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: Addressing training gaps is crucial for equitable care for transgender individuals. Challenging stereotypes and beliefs is necessary to reduce stigma and improve understanding. Enhancing knowledge and evidence-based tools will ensure safe and equal healthcare access. ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Transgender people face against significant barriers in accessing mental health services due to, among other reasons, discrimination and a lack of expertise among professionals. AIM: To explore the beliefs and attitudes of professionals in the mental health network of the region of Murcia towards transgender people, focusing on aspects such as knowledge, perceptions, and prejudices about gender identity. METHOD: We carried out a qualitative study involving 14 participants, conducting semi-structured interviews based on prior knowledge of the topic. We asked the professionals about their experiences and challenges in their clinical interaction with transgender users and followed an inductive-deductive process to analyse the data. RESULTS: Two main themes were identified from the interviews, which were sub-categorised into different sub-themes: (a) beliefs about transgender people: underlying factors and origins of gender diversity, health needs, and stereotypes about the demand for health care; (b) attitudes and behaviours of professionals towards transgender people: pathologization and attitudes towards decision-making. DISCUSSION/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Our findings suggest that mental health professionals tend to oversimplify the factors underlying gender diversity and hold certain stereotypical beliefs about these users that oversimplify the complexity of their experiences.