Australian mental health professionals’ competencies for working with trans clients: a comparative study

dc.contributor.authorRiggs, D.
dc.contributor.authorBartholomaeus, C.
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractGrowing numbers of trans people require access to mental health services; however, previous research suggests that many trans clients have negative experiences with mental health professionals. This paper reports on an Australian survey of 304 counsellors, mental health nurses, psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers with regard to their clinical knowledge, comfort and confidence in working with trans clients. The findings suggest that training and previous experience in working with trans clients are related to increased levels of accurate clinical knowledge and confidence; that psychiatrists had the lowest levels of accurate knowledge; that female participants had higher levels of accurate knowledge than did male participants; that counsellors had the highest levels of confidence and that there was a negative relationship between religiosity and comfort in working with trans clients. The paper concludes by advocating for the development of more nuanced measures to assess the attitudes and skillsets of mental health professionals in regards to working with trans clients and the need for further upskilling of the Australian mental health workforce.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityDamien W. Riggs and Clare Bartholomaeus
dc.identifier.citationPsychology and Sexuality, 2016; 7(3):225-238
dc.identifier.doi10.1080/19419899.2016.1189452
dc.identifier.issn1941-9899
dc.identifier.issn1941-9902
dc.identifier.orcidRiggs, D. [0000-0003-0961-9099]
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/118667
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherTaylor & Francis
dc.rights© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2016.1189452
dc.subjectTransgender; mental health professionals; competencies; training; knowledge
dc.titleAustralian mental health professionals’ competencies for working with trans clients: a comparative study
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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