Creating a Safe Space: A Grounded Theory Analysis of How Mothers Enable Their Transgender Child to Flourish

Abstract Transgender individuals consistently experience poorer mental health outcomes compared to the cisgender population. The role of the parent is fundamental in the prevention of distress through care, nurture, and protection from adverse life events. Little research exists on the experiences of parents of transgender youths, which is mostly saturated with negative discourses of loss, rejection, and stigma. Consequently, this study aimed to adopt a positive psychology approach to explore how parents enable their transgender child to flourish. Nine mothers from across the UK participated in semi-structured interviews. A qualitative Constructivist Grounded Theory methodology was used to guide sampling, data collection and the generation of theory. The theory of creating a safe space emerged from the data, as mothers managed their emotions, protected their child from harm, supported their gender identity exploration, and accessed support for their child to enable them to flourish. The flourishing framework provides guidance to parents and healthcare professionals on how to optimise the wellbeing of transgender youth whilst they navigate their gender identity.