Transgender, Non-Binary, and Gender Diverse People's Experience with Pre-Surgical Assessment
This is a webpage for a research study about transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse people's experience with pre-surgical mental health assessment. The principal investigator for this study is Riley Abeles, M.A., a doctoral student in clinical psychology from the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California (rabeles@wi.edu).
Study Goals
Many transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse (TNGD) individuals experience a sense of incongruence between their gender identity and their body. Some choose to access gender-affirming medical care, including hormonal therapy and surgery. TNGD people seeking gender-affirming surgery must work with a mental health professional who assesses their history and readiness for care and provides them with a letter of referral indicating their readiness for surgery.
There is a robust research base on people's experience with gender-affirming medical care. Most TNGD people report positive outcomes and satisfaction with their chosen medical interventions. However, there is little research on TNGD people’s experience with pre-surgical assessment. This study will seek to fill that gap by interviewing TNGD people who completed pre-surgical assessment with a mental health professional, using an open-ended interview to closely understand TNGD people’s experience.
Who is eligible for the study?
Participants must identify as transgender, non-binary, or otherwise gender diverse.
Participants must currently reside in California.
Participants must have completed gender-affirming surgery and related mental health assessment when they were 18 or older
Gender-affirming surgery and related mental health assessment must have taken place between 2012-2022, and in the state of California
Participants must be able to complete a 90 minute verbal interview in English.
Participation will involve:
A brief demographic survey which includes information about your rights as a participant
A 5-10 minute phone intake to confirm your understanding of the informed consent information and ensure you meet the study requirements
Agreeing to be contacted for a single 90-minute interview via Zoom (not all participants will be selected)
The interview will involve answering questions about your experience with pre-surgical mental health assessment with a mental health provider.
Sharing contact information for how to reach you if you are selected for an interview.
Participants will receive a $40 gift card as thanks for participation.
If you would like to participate, the link below will lead to the online survey, which includes a consent form containing more information about the study for eligible participants.
Questions?
If any questions or concerns arise because of participation in this study, please contact me, Riley Abeles at rabeles@wi.edu or the IRB chair, Ginny Morgan, at irb@wi.edu.
About the Researcher
My name is Riley Abeles (they/them). I am a doctoral student of clinical psychology at the Wright Institute in Berkeley, California. I identify as queer and non-binary and became interested in pre-surgical assessment while working with queer and trans individuals at an LGBTQ+ health center. I am interested in exploring the impact of the field of mental health on TNGD people's experience.
The chair for my dissertation is Dr. Benjamin Morsa, Psy.D., bmorsa@wi.edu.