Naslov
Understanding transsexuality: What do students of psychology and medicine know about transsexualism?

Autori
Jokić-Begić, Nataša ; Milevoj, Karla ; Lauri Korajlija, Anita ; Jurin, Tanja

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
37th STAR Conference Book of Abstracts / - Zagreb : Medicinska naklada, 2016, 306-306

Skup
37th STAR Conference

Mjesto i datum
Zagreb, Hrvatska, 06.07.2016. - 08.07.2016

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
transsexuality, knowledge, students

Sažetak
The current Croatian health system provides inadequate support for transsexual individuals, in large part because diagnosis and treatment depends on the attitudes of the experts from whom the individual seeks support. The present study uses a descriptive, comparative design to investigate knowledge about transsexual persons among students of psychology and medicine. The participants were students attending Croatian universities (N=483). The aim of the study was to examine students' knowledge concerning transsexuality, their explanations regarding the aetiology of transsexuality and the forms of treatment or therapy they might recommend to transsexual individuals. The results demonstrated that medical students gain knowledge about transsexuality via informal methods more often than psychology students and that they were more likely explain the aetiology of transsexuality using psychosocial factors. Consistent with this finding, medical students stated that they would refer a transsexual person for psychological treatment aimed at changing gender identity more often than students of psychology. In addition, findings demonstrated that participants who reported that religion played an important role in their life and who demonstrated conservative views about transsexuality more often affirmed a psychosocial aetiology of transsexuality. In contrast, students who affirmed a biological aetiology of transsexuality were more likely to refer their patients/clients for potential physical treatment. The results of this study emphasize the importance of formal education of medical and psychology students on topics related to transsexuality, without which the decisions concerning treatment and support of transsexual persons brought by these future health care professionals will continue to be carried out in a highly subjective and unprofessional manner.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Psihologija

POVEZANOST RADA