Trans-affirmative cognitive behavioural therapy
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Abstract
Transgender people experience negative prejudice, discrimination, and violence significantly more often than cisgender people. The minority stress model explains the impact of these experiences on the increased prevalence of mood disorders, anxiety, and suicidal behaviour, among transgender people compared to the general population. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a widely used and highly effective method of working with people presenting symptoms of the above disorders. Trans-affirmative cognitive behavioural therapy (TA-CBT) has been adapted to the needs of transgender people — it takes into account the additional specificity of their development and experiences. TA-CBT is a model of short-term therapy that can be carried out in individual or group format. Clinical studies confirm the effectiveness of TA-CBT in reducing
the severity of depressive symptoms. In addition, people who have completed TA-CBT think better about themselves than those in the control group, cope more actively with challenges, plan activities more effectively, and seek support. A major problem for transgender people is the low availability of tailored mental health services, and the dissemination of the TA-CBT model can improve this situation.
Keywords: transgendercognitive behavioural therapyaffirmative therapy
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