The Impact of Multifamily Group Services on the Parents of Transgender and Gender Expansive Youth

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Family acceptance is life-saving for transgender and gender expansive youth (TGEY) and is predictive of TGEY mental health (Olson, Durwood, DeMeules, & McLaughlin, 2016; Olson- Kennedy et al., 2016; Pariseau et al., 2019; Ryan, Huebner, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2009). Family related factors such as stress, minority stress factors, lack of knowledge, isolation, and gendered expectations may make it difficult for parents to support TGEY. Multifamily group services (MFGs) target parental behaviors, attitudes, and parental minority stress to increase family acceptance of TGEY (Malpas, Glaeser, & Giammattei, 2018). MFGs have yet to be quantitatively evaluated for their impact on parental behavior and attitude change and parental minority stress. Using a real-world effectiveness approach, this study proposed to expand the field by examining the relationship of MFGs on parental behavior and attitude change and parental minority stress over time. It was hypothesized that parents would increase their affirmative attitudes and behavior over time and that parental minority stress would decrease over time as based on MFG attendance. It was also hypothesized that parental attitudes and behaviors would predict parental minority stress toward TGEY after attending MFGs. Results suggest that hypotheses were partially supported as mothers increased affirmative behavior and attitudes throughout the intervention period, but fathers did not. For all caregivers, parental minority stress factors were predicted by affirmative behaviors and attitudes. Conclusions and implications are discussed.