Hall, Ruth orcid.org/0000-0001-5014-6321, Taylor, Jo orcid.org/0000-0001-5898-0900, Heathcote, Claire orcid.org/0000-0002-4375-9880 et al. (3 more authors) (2024) Gender services for children and adolescents across the EU-15+ countries:an online survey. Archives of Disease in Childhood. ISSN 1468-2044
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Over the last 10-15 years, there has been an increase in the number of children and adolescents referred to gender services, particularly among adolescent birth-registered females. This population shows a higher prevalence of co-occurring mental health difficulties and neurodevelopmental conditions. Some countries have recently restricted access to medical treatments in recognition of the uncertain evidence base. AIM: To understand the current provision of gender services for children and adolescents across the EU-15+ countries that have comparable high-income healthcare systems, to inform service development in the UK. METHODS: An e-survey of paediatric gender services was conducted between September 2022 and April 2023. It covered service structure, care pathways, interventions and data collection. Data were described and compared to identify similarities and differences among participating services. RESULTS: 15 services in eight countries (Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Northern Ireland, The Netherlands, Spain and Finland) responded. While a multidisciplinary team was present in all services, its composition and organisation varied. Clinical practice was informed by international guidelines, with four countries following their own national guidelines. Differences were observed in referral criteria, care pathways for prepubertal children and those with co-occurring conditions. Eligibility criteria for medical interventions also varied. Psychosocial support and interventions were limited, and outcome data collection was scarce. CONCLUSIONS: This survey revealed both similarities and key variations in the clinical practice of paediatric gender services across eight different countries. The study emphasises the need for service development that both considers the management of co-occurring conditions and embeds routine data collection in practice.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ. |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Sciences (York) > Health Sciences (York) |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 15 Apr 2024 12:50 |
Last Modified: | 18 Oct 2024 00:05 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2023-326348 |
Status: | Published online |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1136/archdischild-2023-326348 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:211524 |
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