Review of Current Care Models for Transgender Youth and Application to the Development of a Multidisciplinary Clinic - The Seattle Children's Hospital Experience.

Care of transgender and gender diverse youth is complex and requires a multidisciplinary approach. Many transgender patients and providers feel the limited availability of affirming, knowledgeable professionals is a barrier to obtaining care. Such care can be provided through a clinic with providers from different disciplines who are trained in the unique care of transgender youth. In this paper, we discuss the care guidelines for transgender youth and the unresolved challenges that need to be addressed during the development of a transgender clinic. We describe our experience at Seattle Children's Hospital in the development of a multidisciplinary Gender Clinic which incorporates the expertise of social work, mental health professionals, pediatric endocrinology, adolescent medicine, and bioethics. Other institutions may build from our experience, with the ultimate goal of further decreasing health disparities for young transgender patients.

Persecution Experiences and Mental Health of LGBT Asylum Seekers.

Asylum seekers are a unique population, particularly those who have endured persecution for their sexual orientation or gender identity. Little data exist about the specific experiences and needs of asylum seekers persecuted due to lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) identity. Quantitative data were gathered regarding demographics, persecution histories, and mental health of 61 clients from a torture survivors program in New York City who reported persecution due to LGBT identity. Thirty-five clients persecuted due to their LGBT identity were matched by country of origin and sex with clients persecuted for other reasons to explore how persecution and symptoms may differ for LGBT clients. LGBT asylum seekers have a higher incidence of sexual violence, persecution occurring during childhood, persecution by family members, and suicidal ideation. Understanding the type of persecution experiences and how these influence mental health outcomes is an essential step toward designing and delivering effective treatments.