Limited access to affirming mental health care combined with exposure to stigmatizing and discriminatory experiences has resulted in profound mental and physical health disparities in the transgender and gender expansive population. By learning how to provide more affirming care, mental health providers can play a key role in improving the mental health outcomes of transgender and gender expansive people.

This course includes three learning modules intended to prepare psychiatric-mental healthcare students and practitioners to address the unique mental health needs and to provide affirming mental health care for transgender and gender expansive people.

Module 1: Affirmative Mental Health Care for Transgender and Gender Expansive Patients, explores the foundational concepts of affirming mental health care; the historical context of gender diversity; DSM criteria for the diagnosis of gender dysphoria across the lifespan; and the impact of gender minority stress on the mental and physical health outcomes of transgender and gender expansive people.  

Module 2: Diagnostic Categories in the Context of a Minority Stress Framework, examines the unique mental health risk factors in the transgender and gender expansive population, how minority stress can impact mental and physical health outcomes, and common misconceptions about mental health conditions and psychiatric disorders among transgender and gender expansive people.

Module 3: Culturally Informed Clinical Strategies, discusses culturally informed treatment strategies to optimize mental health outcomes for transgender and gender expansive people, and tailor treatment across diagnostic categories.