Exploring Transgender and Gender Diverse People’s Experiences of UK Mental Health Services

Background: Transgender and gender diverse people experience worse mental health outcomes than their cisgender counterparts. However, there is a lack of understanding by mental health professionals (MHPs) of the issues this community faces (Bauer et al., 2009). There is a lack of research on the experiences of transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people accessing and using mental health services in the UK.

Aims: This study aims to explore TGD people’s experiences of accessing and using mental health services and identify the impact of barriers to engaging with services.

Methods: Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with sixteen transgender and gender diverse people in the UK, aged between 18-34 years old. A critical realist perspective was used. Results were analysed using Thematic Analysis.

Results: Thematic analysis from a critical realist perspective identified three main themes, each including their own subthemes: “I don’t want to have to be Google” (‘Educating the Professional’, ‘If Not Us, Then Who?’), Discriminatory Service Provision (‘Services Cannot Help Me’, ‘Harmful Professional Practice’, ‘The Search for Affirmation’) and Bringing my Whole Self (‘Trust and Safety’, Denied Space to be Authentic Self’, ‘Choose One: Mental Health or Gender’).

Conclusions: The results are discussed in relation to the Gender Minority Stress and Resilience Model and previous research. The findings provided insight into how transgender, and gender diverse people access, use and navigate mental health services. Difficulties were found in relation to lack of education and discriminatory practices when using these services. The study highlights the importance of wellinformed, unbiased, and thoughtful mental health professionals in providing care for transgender and gender diverse patients. These findings were also discussed in relation to relevant social, political and media discourses.