Dr. Nigel Sherriff is Professor of Public Health and Health Promotion at the University of Brighton. He is internationally known for his scholarly work on sexual health and HIV, health inequalities, and parenting (fatherhood and supporting breastfeeding). His research is driven strongly by a social justice in health agenda to ultimately tackle disadvantage and inequity. Phone: 01273 644539 Address: Centre for Health Research (CHR)
University of Brighton
Mayfield House (M256)
Falmer
BN1 9PH, UK
Back in the 2015 winter edition of this newsletter, the then ongoing SIALON II study was reported... more Back in the 2015 winter edition of this newsletter, the then ongoing SIALON II study was reported which was in the process of conducting a bio-behavioural Survey among gay, bisexual and other Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) in 13 European cities including Brighton [1]. Adopting a Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS) approach, the study represented an ongoing collaboration of European NGOs, Universities, Institutes of Public Health as well as ECDC, UNAIDS and the WHO.
This present article presents briefly the findings of SIALON II in relation to Brighton and Hove in the UK
Health promotion Public health Qualitative research s u m m a r y Objectives: The number of adult... more Health promotion Public health Qualitative research s u m m a r y Objectives: The number of adults who smoke is decreasing, yet this decreasing trend is not spread evenly across the population, with the greatest number of smokers in the routine/ manual worker (R/M) population. This study aimed to gain insight into the beliefs, behaviours and cessation needs of R/M smokers working on construction sites to inform the potential development of a work-based smoking cessation service.
It is now well acknowledged that parents can have a central role in supporting sensible alcohol u... more It is now well acknowledged that parents can have a central role in supporting sensible alcohol use and reducing alcohol misuse amongst young people. However, little research has considered how communication and supervision in relation to alcohol actually takes place within the family. Drawing upon interviews with the parents of young people aged 13-17 years (n ¼ 40), this article describes the strategies that many parents use in communicating, monitoring, and supervising alcohol use within the family. The findings revealed that many parents lack the guidance needed to convey 'sensible drinking' messages to young people, and wish for greater information and support about young people and alcohol.
The ACTION-FOR-HEALTH project aims to improve the health and quality of life of European citizens... more The ACTION-FOR-HEALTH project aims to improve the health and quality of life of European citizens by tackling health inequalities through health promotion and Structural Funds. The project connects partners from 10 EU countries including: National Center of Public Health and Analysis-NCPHA (Bulgaria), Institute of Public Health of Međimurje county-ZZJZ MŽ (Croatia), Estonian-Swedish Mental health and Suicidology Institute (Estonia), National Institute for Health and Development-OEFI (Hungary), Institute of Hygiene-HI (Lithuania), CBO (Netherlands), University of Trnava-TU ( Slovakia), University de la Laguna-ULL (Spain), University of Brighton-UoB (United Kingdom) and the Institute of Public Health Murska Sobota-ZZV MS (Slovenia) as the project co-ordinator.
In partnership with the WHO, UNAIDS, and local partner organisations including Terrence Higgins T... more In partnership with the WHO, UNAIDS, and local partner organisations including Terrence Higgins Trust South, SIALON II aims to conduct a large-scale bio-behavioural survey among MSM in Europe in line with a Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS) approach, as well as implement meaningful and targeted prevention activities. Although SIALON II is primarily a research project, it is also a capacity building project focusing on the development of individual capacity (e.g. skills and knowledge regarding alternative methods of testing, virology, research methodologies) and organisational capacity (e.g. SIALON outreach and prevention activities linking specifically to local NGO agendas).
A study for St Peter’s House to evaluate the Education, Training and Development project. The mai... more A study for St Peter’s House to evaluate the Education, Training and Development project. The main focus for the evaluation is the effectiveness of the project in achieving their objectives and identifying areas for improvement that could help the future development of the project.
Aim Whilst considerable attention has been paid to describing and measuring health inequalities, ... more Aim Whilst considerable attention has been paid to describing and measuring health inequalities, relatively little attention has been paid to ways to effectively reduce health inequalities within and among populations. This article presents a conceptual framework for capacity building to assist stakeholders at the regional level within Europe to maximise the potential of healthy public policies and practices to reduce these inequalities as a core part of strategic action plans to access European Structural Funds. Subject and methods Within the ACTION-FOR-HEALTH (A4H) project co-funded by the European Commission (EC), a conceptual framework for capacity building to reduce health inequalities was developed and evaluated. The evaluation design adopted mixed methods involving a series of focus groups (n=22), interviews (n=14) and questionnaires (n=34) involving the project partners. Results We present the A4H conceptual framework, which is based on a series of capacity-building actions comprising three key areas: (1) developing knowledge and skills; (2) building partnerships; (3) creating action plans. The evaluation data show that the project contributed to enhancing capacities in all three of these areas, at the regional, organisational, and individual levels. Conclusion Focussing mostly on building capacities, the A4H project has the potential to have several sustainable outcomes. Our results underscore the importance of the capacity-building approach for the reduction of health inequalities in Europe.
• This project aimed to engage with a range of young people from schools and other youth spaces a... more • This project aimed to engage with a range of young people from schools and other youth spaces across East Sussex.
• We were asked by East Sussex County Council to explore with young people their views and experiences of health and wellbeing, both in and out of school. We wanted particularly to understand how young people can improve their health in school and gather some ideas on what seems to work and what doesn’t.
• We focused on three topics: 1) Whole-school approaches to health improvement; 2) Emotional wellbeing and resilience, and; 3) Sexual health.
The Centre for Health Research at the University of Brighton was commissioned by East Sussex Coun... more The Centre for Health Research at the University of Brighton was commissioned by East Sussex County Council to: 1) conduct engagement and participation activities with young people across the county, and; 2) support and contextualise the engagement activities by conducting a targeted literature review and synthesis of relevant UK and international research. Together these activities aimed to provide greater understanding and insight into the views and experiences of young people with regards to both existing and commissioning of future health improvement services and initiatives. The specific topics of investigation included the following three defined areas of health improvement commissioning and/or delivery: 1) Whole-school approaches to health improvement; 2) Emotional wellbeing and resilience programmes, and; 3) Sexual health improvement. This report presents the findings from the engagement and participation activities with young people. A separate companion report presents the findings from the literature review and synthesis (Davies, 2015.)
Within lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) research there
is increasing health-related ... more Within lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) research there is increasing health-related scholarship on trans lives, with a growing awareness of the impact of health inequalities on trans well-being. The aim of the paper is to provide greater understanding of transgender young people’s views of what is needed to promote their emotional well-being and resilience by undertaking specific analysis of data collected as part of wider research with young people (n = 97). The study utilised participatory qualitative methods with a cross sectional design generating data via a focus group with trans youth (n = 5), followed by thematic analysis. Findings suggest that both individual and collective capacities or resources enable and sustain resilience and well-being for trans young people. The adversity trans youth face is present in school, the community and in healthcare, but they are able to find places where they feel safe and connected to others. Practitioners, teachers and school nurses are well positioned to facilitate structural change in alliance with trans youth to promote resilience. Research results were utilised to inform health improvement, commissioning and service delivery.
Amidst growing concerns that the UK has amongst the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world, t... more Amidst growing concerns that the UK has amongst the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world, this workshop provided a forum to consider why and how fathers can be customarily engaged to support breastfeeding. The workshop presented a new model of father support to promote breastfeeding, and provided an informal space to consider the ‘F-word’, the father-word, and to explore and share key ideas of how fathers’ support can be maximised and normalised. Overarching themes of the workshop followed the five areas set out in the model: Knowledge about breastfeeding; positive attitudes to breastfeeding; involvement in the decision-making process for breastfeeding; practical support for breastfeeding, and; emotional support for breastfeeding (Sherriff et al., 2014a).
In the UK and Japan, there is concern regarding rising rates of annual new HIV infections among M... more In the UK and Japan, there is concern regarding rising rates of annual new HIV infections among Men who have Sex with Men (MSM). Whilst in the UK and Europe, gay businesses are increasingly recognized as being important settings through which to deliver HIV prevention and health promotion interventions to target vulnerable populations; in Japan such settings-based approaches are relatively underdeveloped. This article draws on qualitative data from a recently completed study conducted to explore whether it is feasible, acceptable and desirable to build on the recent European Everywhere project for adaptation and implementation in Japan. A series of expert workshops were conducted in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka with intersectoral representatives from Japanese and UK non-governmental organizations (NGOs), gay businesses, universities and gay communities (n = 46). Further discussion groups and meetings were held with NGO members and researchers from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Research Group on HIV Prevention Policy, Programme Implementation and Evaluation among MSM (n = 34). The results showed that it is desirable, feasible and acceptable to adapt and implement a Japanese version of Everywhere. Such a practical, policy-relevant, settings-based HIV prevention framework for gay businesses may help to facilitate the necessary scale up of prevention responses among MSM in Japan. Given the high degree of sexual mobility between countries in Asia, there is considerable potential for the Everywhere Project (or its Japanese variant) to be expanded and adapted to other countries within the Asia-Pacific region.
Background Globally, the HIV epidemic is representing a pressing public health issue in Europe an... more Background Globally, the HIV epidemic is representing a pressing public health issue in Europe and elsewhere. There is an emerging and progressively urgent need to harmonise HIV and STI behavioural surveillance among MSM across European countries through the adoption of common indicators, as well as the development of trend analysis in order to monitor the HIV-STI epidemic over time. The Sialon II project protocols have been elaborated for the purpose of implementing a large-scale bio-behavioural survey among MSM in Europe in line with a Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS) approach. Methods/Design Sialon II is a multi-centre biological and behavioural cross-sectional survey carried out across 13 European countries (and the UK) in community settings. A total of 4.966 MSM were enrolled in the study (3.661 participants in the TLS survey, 1.305 participants in the RDS survey). Three distinct components are foreseen in the study protocols: first, a preliminary formative research in each participating country. Second, collection of primary data using two sampling methods designed specifically for 'hard-to-reach' populations, namely Time Location Sampling (TLS) and Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS). Third, implementation of a targeted HIV/STI prevention campaign in the broader context of the data collection. Discussion Through the implementation of combined and targeted prevention complemented by meaningful surveillance among MSM, Sialon II represents a unique opportunity to pilot a bio-behavioural survey in community settings in line with the SGSS approach in a large number of EU countries. Data generated through this survey will not only provide a valuable snapshot of the HIV epidemic in MSM but will also offer an important trend analysis of the epidemiology of HIV and other STIs over time across Europe. Therefore, the Sialon II protocol and findings are likely to contribute significantly to increasing the comparability of data in EU countries through the use of common indicators and in contributing to the development of effective public health strategies and policies in areas of high need.
Breastfeeding is one of those topics that all parents have a view on. Whether you love it or hate... more Breastfeeding is one of those topics that all parents have a view on. Whether you love it or hate it, the NHS, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF all recommend breastfeeding to give babies the best start in life.
However, practices on the ground in the UK and further afield are very far from ideal.
We’ve got HIV and AIDS under control, right? It is a reassuring narrative that offers a feeling o... more We’ve got HIV and AIDS under control, right? It is a reassuring narrative that offers a feeling of progression from the dark days of the 1980s when it felt out of control. But HIV infection globally continues to be a major public health burden. Since the beginning of the epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in 2013 that almost 78m people have been infected with the HIV virus and that 39m people have died as a result. In 2014, estimates from UNAIDS suggested that there were 37m people globally living with HIV.
Back in the 2015 winter edition of this newsletter, the then ongoing SIALON II study was reported... more Back in the 2015 winter edition of this newsletter, the then ongoing SIALON II study was reported which was in the process of conducting a bio-behavioural Survey among gay, bisexual and other Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) in 13 European cities including Brighton [1]. Adopting a Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS) approach, the study represented an ongoing collaboration of European NGOs, Universities, Institutes of Public Health as well as ECDC, UNAIDS and the WHO.
This present article presents briefly the findings of SIALON II in relation to Brighton and Hove in the UK
Health promotion Public health Qualitative research s u m m a r y Objectives: The number of adult... more Health promotion Public health Qualitative research s u m m a r y Objectives: The number of adults who smoke is decreasing, yet this decreasing trend is not spread evenly across the population, with the greatest number of smokers in the routine/ manual worker (R/M) population. This study aimed to gain insight into the beliefs, behaviours and cessation needs of R/M smokers working on construction sites to inform the potential development of a work-based smoking cessation service.
It is now well acknowledged that parents can have a central role in supporting sensible alcohol u... more It is now well acknowledged that parents can have a central role in supporting sensible alcohol use and reducing alcohol misuse amongst young people. However, little research has considered how communication and supervision in relation to alcohol actually takes place within the family. Drawing upon interviews with the parents of young people aged 13-17 years (n ¼ 40), this article describes the strategies that many parents use in communicating, monitoring, and supervising alcohol use within the family. The findings revealed that many parents lack the guidance needed to convey 'sensible drinking' messages to young people, and wish for greater information and support about young people and alcohol.
The ACTION-FOR-HEALTH project aims to improve the health and quality of life of European citizens... more The ACTION-FOR-HEALTH project aims to improve the health and quality of life of European citizens by tackling health inequalities through health promotion and Structural Funds. The project connects partners from 10 EU countries including: National Center of Public Health and Analysis-NCPHA (Bulgaria), Institute of Public Health of Međimurje county-ZZJZ MŽ (Croatia), Estonian-Swedish Mental health and Suicidology Institute (Estonia), National Institute for Health and Development-OEFI (Hungary), Institute of Hygiene-HI (Lithuania), CBO (Netherlands), University of Trnava-TU ( Slovakia), University de la Laguna-ULL (Spain), University of Brighton-UoB (United Kingdom) and the Institute of Public Health Murska Sobota-ZZV MS (Slovenia) as the project co-ordinator.
In partnership with the WHO, UNAIDS, and local partner organisations including Terrence Higgins T... more In partnership with the WHO, UNAIDS, and local partner organisations including Terrence Higgins Trust South, SIALON II aims to conduct a large-scale bio-behavioural survey among MSM in Europe in line with a Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS) approach, as well as implement meaningful and targeted prevention activities. Although SIALON II is primarily a research project, it is also a capacity building project focusing on the development of individual capacity (e.g. skills and knowledge regarding alternative methods of testing, virology, research methodologies) and organisational capacity (e.g. SIALON outreach and prevention activities linking specifically to local NGO agendas).
A study for St Peter’s House to evaluate the Education, Training and Development project. The mai... more A study for St Peter’s House to evaluate the Education, Training and Development project. The main focus for the evaluation is the effectiveness of the project in achieving their objectives and identifying areas for improvement that could help the future development of the project.
Aim Whilst considerable attention has been paid to describing and measuring health inequalities, ... more Aim Whilst considerable attention has been paid to describing and measuring health inequalities, relatively little attention has been paid to ways to effectively reduce health inequalities within and among populations. This article presents a conceptual framework for capacity building to assist stakeholders at the regional level within Europe to maximise the potential of healthy public policies and practices to reduce these inequalities as a core part of strategic action plans to access European Structural Funds. Subject and methods Within the ACTION-FOR-HEALTH (A4H) project co-funded by the European Commission (EC), a conceptual framework for capacity building to reduce health inequalities was developed and evaluated. The evaluation design adopted mixed methods involving a series of focus groups (n=22), interviews (n=14) and questionnaires (n=34) involving the project partners. Results We present the A4H conceptual framework, which is based on a series of capacity-building actions comprising three key areas: (1) developing knowledge and skills; (2) building partnerships; (3) creating action plans. The evaluation data show that the project contributed to enhancing capacities in all three of these areas, at the regional, organisational, and individual levels. Conclusion Focussing mostly on building capacities, the A4H project has the potential to have several sustainable outcomes. Our results underscore the importance of the capacity-building approach for the reduction of health inequalities in Europe.
• This project aimed to engage with a range of young people from schools and other youth spaces a... more • This project aimed to engage with a range of young people from schools and other youth spaces across East Sussex.
• We were asked by East Sussex County Council to explore with young people their views and experiences of health and wellbeing, both in and out of school. We wanted particularly to understand how young people can improve their health in school and gather some ideas on what seems to work and what doesn’t.
• We focused on three topics: 1) Whole-school approaches to health improvement; 2) Emotional wellbeing and resilience, and; 3) Sexual health.
The Centre for Health Research at the University of Brighton was commissioned by East Sussex Coun... more The Centre for Health Research at the University of Brighton was commissioned by East Sussex County Council to: 1) conduct engagement and participation activities with young people across the county, and; 2) support and contextualise the engagement activities by conducting a targeted literature review and synthesis of relevant UK and international research. Together these activities aimed to provide greater understanding and insight into the views and experiences of young people with regards to both existing and commissioning of future health improvement services and initiatives. The specific topics of investigation included the following three defined areas of health improvement commissioning and/or delivery: 1) Whole-school approaches to health improvement; 2) Emotional wellbeing and resilience programmes, and; 3) Sexual health improvement. This report presents the findings from the engagement and participation activities with young people. A separate companion report presents the findings from the literature review and synthesis (Davies, 2015.)
Within lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) research there
is increasing health-related ... more Within lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) research there is increasing health-related scholarship on trans lives, with a growing awareness of the impact of health inequalities on trans well-being. The aim of the paper is to provide greater understanding of transgender young people’s views of what is needed to promote their emotional well-being and resilience by undertaking specific analysis of data collected as part of wider research with young people (n = 97). The study utilised participatory qualitative methods with a cross sectional design generating data via a focus group with trans youth (n = 5), followed by thematic analysis. Findings suggest that both individual and collective capacities or resources enable and sustain resilience and well-being for trans young people. The adversity trans youth face is present in school, the community and in healthcare, but they are able to find places where they feel safe and connected to others. Practitioners, teachers and school nurses are well positioned to facilitate structural change in alliance with trans youth to promote resilience. Research results were utilised to inform health improvement, commissioning and service delivery.
Amidst growing concerns that the UK has amongst the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world, t... more Amidst growing concerns that the UK has amongst the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the world, this workshop provided a forum to consider why and how fathers can be customarily engaged to support breastfeeding. The workshop presented a new model of father support to promote breastfeeding, and provided an informal space to consider the ‘F-word’, the father-word, and to explore and share key ideas of how fathers’ support can be maximised and normalised. Overarching themes of the workshop followed the five areas set out in the model: Knowledge about breastfeeding; positive attitudes to breastfeeding; involvement in the decision-making process for breastfeeding; practical support for breastfeeding, and; emotional support for breastfeeding (Sherriff et al., 2014a).
In the UK and Japan, there is concern regarding rising rates of annual new HIV infections among M... more In the UK and Japan, there is concern regarding rising rates of annual new HIV infections among Men who have Sex with Men (MSM). Whilst in the UK and Europe, gay businesses are increasingly recognized as being important settings through which to deliver HIV prevention and health promotion interventions to target vulnerable populations; in Japan such settings-based approaches are relatively underdeveloped. This article draws on qualitative data from a recently completed study conducted to explore whether it is feasible, acceptable and desirable to build on the recent European Everywhere project for adaptation and implementation in Japan. A series of expert workshops were conducted in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka with intersectoral representatives from Japanese and UK non-governmental organizations (NGOs), gay businesses, universities and gay communities (n = 46). Further discussion groups and meetings were held with NGO members and researchers from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's Research Group on HIV Prevention Policy, Programme Implementation and Evaluation among MSM (n = 34). The results showed that it is desirable, feasible and acceptable to adapt and implement a Japanese version of Everywhere. Such a practical, policy-relevant, settings-based HIV prevention framework for gay businesses may help to facilitate the necessary scale up of prevention responses among MSM in Japan. Given the high degree of sexual mobility between countries in Asia, there is considerable potential for the Everywhere Project (or its Japanese variant) to be expanded and adapted to other countries within the Asia-Pacific region.
Background Globally, the HIV epidemic is representing a pressing public health issue in Europe an... more Background Globally, the HIV epidemic is representing a pressing public health issue in Europe and elsewhere. There is an emerging and progressively urgent need to harmonise HIV and STI behavioural surveillance among MSM across European countries through the adoption of common indicators, as well as the development of trend analysis in order to monitor the HIV-STI epidemic over time. The Sialon II project protocols have been elaborated for the purpose of implementing a large-scale bio-behavioural survey among MSM in Europe in line with a Second Generation Surveillance System (SGSS) approach. Methods/Design Sialon II is a multi-centre biological and behavioural cross-sectional survey carried out across 13 European countries (and the UK) in community settings. A total of 4.966 MSM were enrolled in the study (3.661 participants in the TLS survey, 1.305 participants in the RDS survey). Three distinct components are foreseen in the study protocols: first, a preliminary formative research in each participating country. Second, collection of primary data using two sampling methods designed specifically for 'hard-to-reach' populations, namely Time Location Sampling (TLS) and Respondent Driven Sampling (RDS). Third, implementation of a targeted HIV/STI prevention campaign in the broader context of the data collection. Discussion Through the implementation of combined and targeted prevention complemented by meaningful surveillance among MSM, Sialon II represents a unique opportunity to pilot a bio-behavioural survey in community settings in line with the SGSS approach in a large number of EU countries. Data generated through this survey will not only provide a valuable snapshot of the HIV epidemic in MSM but will also offer an important trend analysis of the epidemiology of HIV and other STIs over time across Europe. Therefore, the Sialon II protocol and findings are likely to contribute significantly to increasing the comparability of data in EU countries through the use of common indicators and in contributing to the development of effective public health strategies and policies in areas of high need.
Breastfeeding is one of those topics that all parents have a view on. Whether you love it or hate... more Breastfeeding is one of those topics that all parents have a view on. Whether you love it or hate it, the NHS, the World Health Organisation and UNICEF all recommend breastfeeding to give babies the best start in life.
However, practices on the ground in the UK and further afield are very far from ideal.
We’ve got HIV and AIDS under control, right? It is a reassuring narrative that offers a feeling o... more We’ve got HIV and AIDS under control, right? It is a reassuring narrative that offers a feeling of progression from the dark days of the 1980s when it felt out of control. But HIV infection globally continues to be a major public health burden. Since the beginning of the epidemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated in 2013 that almost 78m people have been infected with the HIV virus and that 39m people have died as a result. In 2014, estimates from UNAIDS suggested that there were 37m people globally living with HIV.
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Papers by Nigel S Sherriff
This present article presents briefly the findings of SIALON II in relation to Brighton and Hove in the UK
project co-ordinator.
to local NGO agendas).
• We were asked by East Sussex County Council to explore with young people their views and experiences of health and wellbeing, both in and out of school. We wanted particularly to understand how young people can improve their health in school and gather some ideas on what seems to work and what doesn’t.
• We focused on three topics: 1) Whole-school approaches to health improvement; 2) Emotional wellbeing and resilience, and; 3) Sexual health.
is increasing health-related scholarship on trans lives, with a
growing awareness of the impact of health inequalities on trans
well-being. The aim of the paper is to provide greater
understanding of transgender young people’s views of what is
needed to promote their emotional well-being and resilience by
undertaking specific analysis of data collected as part of wider
research with young people (n = 97). The study utilised
participatory qualitative methods with a cross sectional design
generating data via a focus group with trans youth (n = 5),
followed by thematic analysis. Findings suggest that both
individual and collective capacities or resources enable and
sustain resilience and well-being for trans young people. The
adversity trans youth face is present in school, the community
and in healthcare, but they are able to find places where they feel
safe and connected to others. Practitioners, teachers and school
nurses are well positioned to facilitate structural change in
alliance with trans youth to promote resilience. Research results
were utilised to inform health improvement, commissioning and
service delivery.
However, practices on the ground in the UK and further afield are very far from ideal.
This present article presents briefly the findings of SIALON II in relation to Brighton and Hove in the UK
project co-ordinator.
to local NGO agendas).
• We were asked by East Sussex County Council to explore with young people their views and experiences of health and wellbeing, both in and out of school. We wanted particularly to understand how young people can improve their health in school and gather some ideas on what seems to work and what doesn’t.
• We focused on three topics: 1) Whole-school approaches to health improvement; 2) Emotional wellbeing and resilience, and; 3) Sexual health.
is increasing health-related scholarship on trans lives, with a
growing awareness of the impact of health inequalities on trans
well-being. The aim of the paper is to provide greater
understanding of transgender young people’s views of what is
needed to promote their emotional well-being and resilience by
undertaking specific analysis of data collected as part of wider
research with young people (n = 97). The study utilised
participatory qualitative methods with a cross sectional design
generating data via a focus group with trans youth (n = 5),
followed by thematic analysis. Findings suggest that both
individual and collective capacities or resources enable and
sustain resilience and well-being for trans young people. The
adversity trans youth face is present in school, the community
and in healthcare, but they are able to find places where they feel
safe and connected to others. Practitioners, teachers and school
nurses are well positioned to facilitate structural change in
alliance with trans youth to promote resilience. Research results
were utilised to inform health improvement, commissioning and
service delivery.
However, practices on the ground in the UK and further afield are very far from ideal.