Transgender and gender various (TGD) people expertise violence to a larger extent in comparison with their cisgender counterparts, together with hate crimes, bodily violence, and sexual and psychological abuse (Stotzer, 2009; Flores et al, 2022). For instance, transgender people are over twice as prone to expertise bodily and sexual intimate associate violence in comparison with cisgender individuals (Peitzmeier et al, 2020).
There are a lot of potential penalties of violence, each within the brief and lengthy phrases. These embody bodily results, resembling accidents and transmission of sexually transmitted infections or ailments, and psychological results, resembling anxiousness, melancholy, and suicidality (Rivara et al, 2019). The well being sector is subsequently important within the remedy of bodily accidents or signs in addition to remedy and prevention of psychological well being deterioration. Nevertheless, TGD people face a number of challenges when making an attempt to entry high quality well being companies, resembling care refusals and additional victimisation by well being professionals (Cicero et al, 2019; Strauss et al, 2020 – blogged right here by Dr. Talen Wright).
It’s on this context that Kaptchuk and colleagues (2025) performed a assessment summarising the findings from earlier analysis on facets and practices of well being companies which can be most popular and valued by TGD people and well being suppliers serving them.
The well being sector response to violence towards transgender and gender various people performs a key position in lowering post-violence mortality.
Strategies
Kaptchuk and colleagues (2025) carried out a complete search in an effort to determine publications trying on the traits that TGD adults and well being suppliers supporting TGD people want to discover in well being companies when accessing them after experiencing interpersonal violence. The search included six on-line databases, secondary references, and gray literature, resembling convention abstracts and publications on web sites of related organisations. Eligible research included solely TGD adults (18 or older) and/or well being suppliers serving TGD adults, or a extra common inhabitants however the place knowledge on TGD adults solely have been reported. Any technique was included, so long as it offered main knowledge assortment, in addition to any language and geographical area.
Three reviewers accomplished the screening course of, extracted, and analysed the info utilizing inductive thematic evaluation, which is a analysis strategy in response to which the researcher identifies recurring patterns within the knowledge with none pre-established categorisation. Rigor of the recognized themes was assessed utilizing the Grading of Suggestions Evaluation, Growth and Analysis (GRADE), whereas general confidence within the outcomes was assessed utilizing the Confidence within the Proof from Evaluations of Qualitative Analysis (CERQual) strategy.
Outcomes
The assessment included 16 research carried out in ten totally different international locations, permitting for the illustration of varied populations and well being companies. The themes emerged from the evaluation have been:
- Well being supplier schooling
Members mentioned the significance of offering schooling in well being companies in relation to the totally different types of violence which can be particular to TGD people, in addition to the assorted elements that make TGD people extra susceptible to violence, resembling social norms and the intersection of gender id and race. Such schooling would enable well being professionals and volunteers to offer assist that meets the wants of TGD people.
- High quality of care
TGD-individuals-specific high quality of care embody protected, empowering, supportive, and respectful companies and interactions between sufferers and well being suppliers. This consists of utilizing the affected person’s most popular pronouns, finishing up bodily examinations in a gender-affirming approach, and utilizing a trauma-informed, victim-centred strategy.
- Inclusive promoting
TGD people usually really feel they aren’t welcome in post-violence well being companies, and they aren’t conscious of what companies can be found to them. For that reason, post-violence well being companies’ promoting needs to be extra inclusive, for instance by focusing on TGD populations, utilizing inclusive language, and by explicitly stating whether or not TGD individuals are served there.
- TGD-inclusive insurance policies and repair environments
Each TGD people and well being suppliers expressed that insurance policies needs to be developed to create a protected and inclusive service atmosphere in an effort to take away obstacles to accessing post-violence assist. Options included displaying TGD-affirming stickers, offering gender-inclusive services, and creating an express plan on assist TGD people who skilled violence or discrimination.
- Illustration and position of TGD people inside workers, programme growth, and advocacy roles
Members reported that TGD people had a extra constructive expertise accessing companies when there have been TGD illustration or somebody with violence lived expertise among the many service workers members. Nevertheless, one research within the assessment reported that some TGD individuals feared that TGD workers members would disclose the shopper’s non-public info to different members of the trans group.
- Devoted companies for TGD people
Some individuals highlighted the worth of specialized companies in an effort to present the suitable assist to TGD people who have been victims of violence, assembly their distinctive wants.
- Present well being navigation, coordination, and linkage to companies
So as to entry sufficient and well timed care and assist, affected person navigation fashions needs to be developed. Moreover, individuals felt that referrals to gender-affirming companies needs to be facilitated through enhanced communication between companies’ workers members.
- Incorporate psychological well being assist
Members urged that psychological well being assist needs to be built-in in post-violence companies, the place well being professionals are skilled and conscious of TGD-specific violence and broader socio-structural experiences.
- Accessibility of post-violence healthcare areas
One research within the assessment recognized obstacles in relation to the placement of gender-based violence companies, that are at lengthy distances from individuals.
Employees coaching provision, transgender and gender various (TGD) illustration, and TGD-inclusive insurance policies are all facets of post-violence companies valued by TGD adults and well being suppliers serving them.
Conclusions
This research by Kaptchuk and colleagues (2025) highlights that there are a number of areas the place enchancment is required in an effort to present protected and affirming companies to TGD communities following a violence expertise. As well being suppliers’ schooling alone shouldn’t be sufficient, a multilevel response is subsequently known as for, involving modifications at each the societal and structural ranges.
A multilevel response is important for transgender and gender various people to entry high quality post-violence companies.
Strengths and limitations
The findings of this research present helpful insights on enhance post-violence companies in an effort to higher assist TGD populations, who face an ideal burden of violence. The research was conceptualised and designed alongside a person with associated lived expertise, making certain that the main target of the analysis remained related to TGD people. The search technique was sound and complete, resulting in each peer-reviewed articles and gray literature being included within the analyses. Moreover, the reviewers assessed rigor and general confidence within the synthesised themes, that are noteworthy within the interpretation of the outcomes.
Nevertheless, some limitations have to be thought of:
- Only some research included within the assessment straight investigated the preferences and values for post-violence companies, whereas others centered on violence experiences and care-access obstacles for TGD populations.
- Most individuals have been transgender girls, highlighting the necessity for additional examination on transgender males and gender various people’ views.
- Though there’s proof suggesting that transgender and gender various youth face an ideal stage of violence (Goldenberg et al, 2018; Norris et al, 2020) in addition to obstacles to affirming-care entry (Inward-Breland et al., 2021), solely grownup individuals have been included within the assessment. The inclusion of TGD people youthful than 18 in future research would possibly present extra views on values and preferences concerning post-violence companies.
This research has successfully synthesised the present information on the values and preferences of TGD communities in relation to well being companies responding to interpersonal violence.
Implications for follow
The findings of this research’s worth primarily lies with the implications for follow. The views of TGD populations and well being suppliers serving TGD people reported within the assessment can inform post-violence well being companies and suppliers in addition to scientific tips. In mild of the present findings, well being companies could introduce new insurance policies and practices particular to the response to interpersonal violence towards TGD people.
For instance, care suppliers ought to obtain coaching on the distinctive expertise of violence towards the trans group, understanding the interlocking system of oppression on the base of such violence. Care suppliers must also be required to offer respectful and gender-affirming care. Providers’ commercials and public well being programmes must also transfer in direction of utilizing extra inclusive language, permitting TGD people to know that top high quality assist is offered to them.
TGD populations will solely be capable of entry protected, empowering, and affirming post-violence assist via multilevel modifications knowledgeable by TGD’s personal voices and views.
Transgender and gender various voices have to be heard to have the ability to present them with the sort of assist that meets their distinctive wants.
Assertion of pursuits
None.
Hyperlinks
Main paper
Kaptchuk P R, Kennedy Ok S, Wong B W. et al (2025) Values and preferences concerning the well being sector response to interpersonal violence towards transgender and gender-diverse people: A scientific assessment. Lancet Psychiatry. 2025, 12(7)524-534.
Different references
Breland-Inwards D J, Karrington B, & Sequeira G. (2021) Entry to look after transgender and nonbinary youth: Ponder this, innumerable obstacles exist. Jama Pediatrics 2021 175(11) 1112-1114.
Cicero E, Reisner S R, Silva S G. et al (2019) Healthcare experiences of transgender adults: An built-in combined analysis literature assessment. Advances in Nursing Science 2019 42(2) 123-138.
Flores A R, Stotzer R L, Meyer I H. et al (2022) Hate crimes towards LGBT individuals: Nationwide crime victimization survey, 2017-2019. PLoS ONE 2022 17(12).
Goldenberg T, Jadwin-Cakmak L J, & Harper G W. (2018) Intimate associate violence amongst transgender youth: Associations with intrapersonal and structural elements. Violence and Gender 2018 5(1).
Norris A L, & Orchowski L M. (2020) Peer victimization of sexual minority and transgender youth: A cross-sectional research of highschool college students. Psychology of Violence 10(2) 201-211.
Peitzmeier S M, Malik M, Kattari S Ok. et al (2020) Intimate associate violence in transgender populations: Systematic assessment and meta-analysis of prevalence and correlates. American Journal of Public Well being 2020 110(9), e1-e14.
Rivara F, Adhia A, Lyons V. et al (2019) The results of violence on well being. Well being Affairs. 2019 38(10) 1622-1629.
Stotzer R L. (2009) Violence towards transgender individuals: A assessment of United States knowledge. Aggression and Violent Behaviour 2009 14(3) 170-179.
Strauss P, Lin A, Winter S. et al (2020) Choices and realities for trans and gender various younger individuals receiving care in Australia’s psychological well being system: findings from Trans Pathways. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 2020 55(4).
