Transgender and Gender-Diverse Child and Parent Close Relationships

Abstract

Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) children are impacted by their relationships with their parents. Parental influence can positively and/or negatively influence TGD children’s well-being. The purpose of this study is to: (a) summarize qualitative research addressing parent–TGD child relationships and (b) share these results with mental health professionals and researchers working to enhance the well-being of TGD children. We employed a qualitative metasummary to review qualitative research with findings about relationships between parents and their TGD children, with data from TGD children. We focused on parent and TGD child relationships after their initial disclosure/discovery conversations. Data collection resulted in 27 articles. Data analysis yielded three themes: parent and child together, child-specific experiences, and parent-specific experiences. This report concludes with practice implications for mental health professionals.