Dr Claire McAllister
Rainbow Families: Optimising Care for LGBTQIA+ parents and their infants in the peripartum
Dr Claire McAllister is a Child & Adolescent and Consultation Liaison Psychiatrist who works at the QLD Children’s Gender Service and the QLD Children’s Hospital Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Service. She has an interest in perinatal and infant mental health, and was fortunate enough to work in the 0-4 CYMHS team as a new fellow. She now translates these skills to the hospital environment, providing support to physically ill infants and their parents at QCH. Claire is passionate about supporting the health and wellbeing of the LGBTQIA+ community, and proudly identifies as bisexual. Her other professional interests include eating disorders, neuropsychiatry, and functional disorders.
The Session
The term “Rainbow Family” is used to describe a same-sex, gender diverse, or LGBTQIA+ parented family. All new and expecting parents deserve inclusive and culturally competent perinatal support, based on the knowledge that LGBTQIA+ individuals in parenting roles are not abnormal, but rather, are part of the spectrum of diversity in families. Research consistently shows that both parents and children in Rainbow Families do generally well, with no differences in wellbeing or developmental outcomes when compared to parents and children in the general population. We know that those families who live in supportive environments are more likely to thrive, however, minority stressors such as stigma and discrimination have negative effects on wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ parents and their children.
Rainbow Families can encounter challenges in accessing safe and inclusive care across perinatal services including fertility, antenatal, birth, child health and mental health. Even outside of overt discrimination, homophobia and transphobia, LGBTQIA+ individuals often carry the burden of educating health care providers and repeatedly advocating for their needs. This can lead to low health care utilisation to avoid these exhausting interactions. This presentation will explore the unique challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ parents in the peripartum, and highlight how health professionals, particularly mental health professionals, can create safe and affirming practices to improve outcomes for Rainbow Families.