A longitudinal prospective examination of trans and nonbinary youth who are questioning their transition and considering a detransition
Researchers: Annie Pullen Sansfaçon, Kinnon MacKinnon, June Sing Hong Lam
Collaborators: John Strang, Wren Ariel Gould, Morgane A. Gelly, August Paradis, Madeline Sunshine Rosen
Funding: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
Research Assistant: Lou Chavanat
This longitudinal and prospective research project focuses on the experiences and trajectories of trans and non-binary youth aged 16 to 25 who have undertaken a gender transition (social, legal and/or medical) and who, at some point in their journey, question their transition or consider detransitioning. Led by Professor Annie Pullen Sansfaçon (Université de Montréal), in collaboration with Canadian and American researchers, this study aims to produce nuanced, longitudinal and contextualised knowledge on the processes of identity questioning, reassessment of needs, decision-making, resilience and well-being among youth navigating complex gender journeys. Rooted in a life course approach, the research adopts a conceptual framework that examines how youth make sense of their doubts, experiences and identity transformations in a social context often marked by stigmatisation and misinformation. Through annual interviews conducted over three years, the project documents changes in participants' perceptions of gender, well-being and forms of resilience over time. Its aim is to understand how youth construct meaning around their experiences and adapt their trajectories according to their family, medical and social environments. By producing unprecedented data on the contemporary realities of gender transitions and detransitions, Pathways to Resilience aims to fill a major scientific gap and contribute to evidence-based clinical policies and practices in order to better support the diversity of trans and non-binary youth's journeys in a changing social context.
