July 31, 2025

PATHWAYS Horizon – longitudinal observational study to understand the support needs of gender incongruent young people launches

A new prospective observational study is being set up to better understand the support needs of young people attending the NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services.

Currently there is limited evidence about how best to support young people who experience gender incongruence.

A new observational study is aiming to start addressing this gap – the study has now received all necessary regulatory approvals and ethics checks, and will begin recruiting participants through the NHS Children and Young People’s Gender Services soon.

PATHWAYS Horizon will be the largest observational study of its kind following the physical and mental health and wellbeing of children and young people attending services for gender incongruence, where they might receive various support such as psychological, school and communication support.  It will be open to all young people attending NHS Gender Services, with over 3000 young people expected to take part.

Before this new research begins, journalists came along to get background to the study, including:

– Why is this study needed?

– What will the study measure?

– When will the study start recruiting young people?

– How will young people be followed up?

Speakers included:

Prof Emily Simonoff, Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN); and Chief Investigator of the study

Dr Michael Absoud, Adjunct Reader & Consultant in Paediatric Neurodisability at King’s College London; and Deputy Chief Investigator

Prof Richard Emsley, NIHR Professor in the Department of Biostatistics & Health Informatics at King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), Academic Director of King’s Clinical Trials Unit; and is the study statistician