By Alicia Clayton, School of Historical and Philosophical Studies, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, Andrew James Amos, Division of Tropical Health and Medicine, College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia, Jillian Spencer, Greater Brisbane Clinical school, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, Patrick Clarke, Faculty of Health and Medical Science, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
Australasian Psychiatry
Abstract
Objective
To summarize the key recommendations of England’s independent inquiry into gender identity services for children and young people (the Cass Review) and to evaluate their relevance to Australian health policy.
Conclusions
The Cass Review’s findings and recommendations have clear applicability to Australian health policy. As a matter of priority, Australian health authorities need to seriously engage with the Cass Review's findings and recommendations. To not do so will put the health and well-being of vulnerable children and young people at risk.
Over the last decade, in Australia, as in many countries, there has been a sharp rise in the numbers of youth experiencing gender-related distress and/or identifying as transgender and presenting to youth gender clinics.1 Previously, referrals were mostly biological sex males, whereas the current cohort is dominated by adolescent biological sex females, and many have neurodevelopmental and co-existing psychiatric disorders.1,2 Australian youth gender clinics utilize a multidisciplinary approach and provide gender-affirming psychosocial and medical treatments tailored to developmental stage and individual needs (see Box 1).1,3 Henceforth, we will use the umbrella term the gender-affirming care treatment model (GACTM) to describe this clinical approach.
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