Building a School-Staff Training Program to Improve Transgender Adolescents’ Mental Health
FY23 SI-GECS Type 2
Abstract
Transgender adolescents (whose gender identity differs from their birth-assigned sex) are at risk for worse educational outcomes and mental health due to institutional and interpersonal discrimination experienced in school. Gender-affirming practices in schools, which validate transgender students’ gender identities and supportively address their experiences (e.g., using affirmed name and pronouns), have been shown to enhance transgender students' safety and wellbeing. However, training programs for school staff in these practices are scarce. To address this need, we are developing a training program for school staff in gender-affirming practices. The program will be online so that it can be readily adapted to diverse school contexts and easily scalable. The larger project includes three phases (see figure). With support from the Schiller Institute, we will complete Phase 2. Specifically, our research team (Dr. Price and The Affirm Lab and Dr. Paul Poteat) will continue collaborating with key community members (transgender students and high school teachers) to build and refine the training program using two forms of “usability testing” (detailed in figure) to create a useful and effective program tailored to meet the needs of school staff. At the end of phase 2, we will have a training program that is ready for future pilot testing (phase 3).
Presentations
- Internal:
- Price, M. (2022, November). “Structural Stigma and Its Implications for Youth Psychology.” Boston College, Department of Psychology. Boston, MA.
- External:
- Price, M. (2023, March). “Designing multilevel interventions to reduce multilevel stigma for youth” Northwestern University. Chicago, IL.
- Price, M. (2022, November). “Structural Stigma May Undermine Treatment Efficacy: The Necessity of Structural Interventions.” Boston University School of Medicine Grand Rounds. Boston, MA.
- Price, M. (2022, October). “Future directions in treating stigmatized youth: Multi-level stigma and the necessity of multi-level interventions.” University of Toronto, Applied Psychology and Human Development Department. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Price, M. (2022, October). “Leveraging stigma science to improve mental health care for stigmatized youth.” University of Pennsylvania, Counseling and Mental Health Services Program.
- Price, M. (2022, October). “Multilevel Stigma and Its Implications for Clinical Practice.” University of Hawai’i, Hilo, Department of Psychology. Hilo, HI.
- Price, M. (2022, August). “Building a provider training to reduce mental health disparities for transgender youth” for the American Psychological Foundation Friends of the Foundation Event. APA Convention, Minneapolis, MN.
- Price, M. (2022, August). Expert panelist for “The Long Arc of Progress: Translating the Science of Child Mental Health Disparities to Promote Equity." American Psychological Association (APA) Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Division 53) meeting at the APA Convention. Minneapolis, MN.
- Price, M. (2022, August). Future directions in mental health treatment with stigmatized youth. Keynote address for Division 53: Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (Division 53) meeting at the APA Convention. Minneapolis, MN.
- Peer-Reviewed Presentations
- Mulkern, P.*, Wei, A.X.*, & Price, M. (2024, November). “Systematic Review: Best Practices for Supporting Transgender Youth in Schools. Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.
- Mulkern, P.*, & Price, M. (under review). Leveraging Community Partnerships to Identify Determinants of Gender-Affirming School Practices Adoption. Poster presentation submitted to Dissemination and Implementation Science Special Interest Group of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT) Annual Convention, Philadelphia, PA.
Media
- Verghese, B. (2022, January 12). Affirm lab conducts two studies about supporting transgender youth. The Heights.
Additional Grants
- Boston College Research Across Departments and Schools, Promoting Mental Health for Multiply Marginalized Adolescents by Adapting a Digital School Training Program, PI. Total costs: $49,900
Proposals Submitted
- NIMH R34, Development of a School-Based Prevention Intervention to Promote Transgender Adolescents' Mental Health, PI. Total costs: $717,990 (co-I: Poteat)
- Spencer Foundation Large Grant, Supporting School Practices that Promote Transgender Students’ Empowerment, PI. Total costs: $374,579Boston College Schiller Institute Grant for Exploratory Collaborative Scholarship
- Promoting Mental Health for Multiply Marginalized Adolescents by Adapting a Digital Training Program, PI. Total costs: $50,000
- Spencer Foundation Large Grant, Enhancing Equity for Transgender Students Through High School Staff Training, PI. Total costs: $250,000
- Resubmission of NIMH R34, Development of a School-Based Prevention Intervention to Promote Transgender Adolescents' Mental Health, PI. Total costs: $717,990 (co-I: Poteat)
Additional Accomplishments
- GASP program curriculum developed
- Conducted Usability testing of the Gender-Affirming School Practices Program (GASPP) with 5 additional school staff (e.g., PE teacher, social worker).
- Further refined GASPP based on school staff feedback
- Community and Public Engagement Events
- Dr. Price and research assistants in the Affirm Lab (PhD and masters-level students) attended the following events to maintain strong community partnerships and share more information about gender-affirming school practices and GASPP.
- Chelsea Public Schools Youth Mental Health Day (May 23, 2024)
- Healthy Chelsea Spring Event (March 21, 2024)
- Dr. Price and research assistants in the Affirm Lab (PhD and masters-level students) attended the following events to maintain strong community partnerships and share more information about gender-affirming school practices and GASPP.