PATHWAYS research study into NHS Gender Services launches
World-leading study into the support needs of young people accessing NHS gender services in England
South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, together with university partners at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London , will participate in the largest long -term study into the needs of young people accessing gender services , to better inform and evidence the care and support provided by the NHS. The longitudinal study, which has received regul atory and ethical approval, will begin recruiting up to 3,000 young people that will look at the care and treatment provided through NHS gender services over the next six years, and build a detailed and holistic picture of clinical outcomes.
PATHWAYS HORIZON will be the largest observational study of its kind, at least ten times larger than any other study that has ever involved children and young people attending services for gender incongruence. It will be open to all young people attending the NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Service .
Longitudinal studies, which follow the same group of participants over a number of years, mean that researchers can build a better understanding of how clinical care affects patient outcomes. The PATHWAYS study aims to develop a robust evidence base to enable young people and their families to make more informed decisions about their treatment, and support the development of evidence-based care for young people experiencing gender incongruence.
NHS England commissioned and funded the study in partnership with the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) under the special National Research Collaboration Programme. The study has undergone a comprehensive review of the science by independent scientists advising NIHR, checks by regulators and scrutiny by an NHS ethics committee
Professor Derek Tracy, Chief Medical Officer at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust said: “The Pathways Horizon study is an ambitious attempt to better understand the needs of young people experiencing an incredibly challenging situation. “It is only through such work that we can better support and better care for young people. This study has the potential to immeasurably improve the lives of thousands of young people across the UK and indeed, across the globe."
“We are co-sponsors of this study with our colleagues at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, and this collaboration ensures an appropriate mix of academic and clinical expertise.”
Find out more information on PATHWAYS: Puberty suppression and Transitional Healthcare with Adaptive Youth Services here.
