Gender-Affirming Parenting for Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth: A Scoping Review

J Adolesc Health. 2026 Jun 3:S1054-139X(26)00138-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2026.04.002. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Family support for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth is broadly known to mitigate harmful effects of stigma, resulting in lowered risk of adverse mental health outcomes. The purpose of this scoping review is to map an overview of the types of evidence available and relevant findings for gender-affirming parenting of TGD individuals. A scoping review was conducted by searching 3 electronic databases (PubMed, CINAHL Plus [Ebsco], and Embase) for articles published before November 2024. Abstracts were then reviewed by authors to ensure they met inclusion criteria, and discrepancies were resolved by consensus among all reviewers. Thirty-seven included articles covered the following 3 areas (with some articles covering more than one area): characteristics of parents’ gender affirmation (n = 17), parents’ experiences and needs (n = 18), and parents’ gender affirmation and TGD health outcomes (n = 9). There are several gaps in the reviewed literature related to study sampling, design, and methodology. The studies in this review had samples that were predominantly White/non-Latinx and were largely inclusive of a range of gender identities, rather than examining specific subgroups. Future research that centers individuals with intersecting marginalized identities may inform interventions tailored to their specific needs and strengths.

PMID:42240522 | DOI:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2026.04.002