Keywords

Adolescent Psychiatry; Adolescent Psychology; Autistic Disorder; Gender Identity; Health Services for Transgendered Persons; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic; Transgendered Persons

Research group(s)

• Stress in Childhood and Adolescence (SCAR-Unit)
  Head: Oswald D. Kothgassner
  Research Area: Child and Adolescent Psychology and Psychiatry, Stress Mechanisms, Psychoneuroendocrinology, Virtual Reality, Ecological Momentary Assessments, Neuroscience
  Members:
  Oswald D. Kothgassner
  Bettina Pfeffer
  Adelais Reichmann
  Diana Klinger

Research interests

As a practicing clinical psychologist, I provide health services, mainly psychological assessment for children and adolescents with gender dysphoria. My main research focus is also connected to this special patient group, as the aim of my doctoral thesis is to offer insight into the psychopathological correlates and quality of life of gender dysphoric adolescents.

Gender dysphoric adolescents are significantly more likely to have psychopathological abnormalities than their cisgender peers, thus expertise in psychiatric disorders, such as autism-spectrum-disorders and post-traumatic stress disorders is essential in this field. Furthermore, I focus on the development of psychological treatment methods for transgender adolescents.