
Marco A. Hidalgo, PhD, MA
(they/them) - Pediatric Psychology|
- Clinical Psychology
About
Marco A. Hidalgo, PhD holds an academic appointment as Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and serves on the faculty in Internal Medicine-Pediatrics (Med-Peds) & Preventive Medicine at UCLA Health.
Dr. Hidalgo is a licensed clinical psychologist with advanced training in the assessment and treatment of complex behavioral health conditions, including mood and anxiety disorders, trauma-related symptoms, and behavioral challenges across the developmental lifespan.
As Founding Director of the Department of Medicine's Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Residency Program, Dr. Hidalgo supervises postdoctoral residents in clinical psychology within a variety of outpatient and interdisciplinary care settings, including programs focused on neurodevelopmental conditions and adolescent psychosocial adjustment.
Languages
Education
Degree
Recognitions
Locations
Santa Monica 16th Street Internal Medicine & Pediatrics

Hospital Affiliations
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
Medical Services
Areas of Focus
Research
Interests
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Dr. Hidalgo leads federally sponsored research focused on mental and behavioral health across diverse populations. One such study is a five-year investigation examining developmental pathways and mental health outcomes among youth navigating complex identity-related experiences.
PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP/LEADERSHIP
- Founding Director, Department of Medicine's Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Residency Program (2022-Present)
- Associate Vice Chair, Office of Community Engagement and Inclusive Excellence, Department of Medicine, DGSOM at UCLA (2021-Present)
- Member, Psychosocial Development and Risk Prevention (PDRP) Study Section, Scientific Review Group, NIH (2020-2024)
- Member, American Psychological Association (2006-Present)
Publications
Select publications include:
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Hidalgo MA, Ehrensaft D, Tishelman AC, Clark LF, Garofalo R, Rosenthal SM, Spack NP, Olson J. The gender affirmative model: What we know and what we aim to learn. Human Development. 56(5):285-90, 2013.
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Hidalgo MA, Kuhns LM, L. HA, Mustanski B, Garofalo R. The MyPEEPS randomized controlled trial: A pilot of preliminary efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of a group-level, HIV-risk reduction intervention for young men who have sex with men. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 44(2):475-85, 2014. PMID: 25135064, PMCID: PMC4559339
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Hidalgo MA, Chen D, Garofalo R, Forbes C. Perceived Parental Attitudes of Gender Expansiveness: Development and Preliminary Factor Structure of a Self-report Youth Questionnaire. Transgender Health. 2(1), 180-187; 2017. PMID: 29159312, PMCID: PMC5685204
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Hidalgo MA, Chen D. Experiences of Gender Minority Stress in Cisgender Parents of Transgender/Gender-expansive Prepubertal Children: A Qualitative Study. Journal of Family Issues. 40(7): 865-886, 2019. PMID: 33911325. PMCID: PMC8078838.
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Hidalgo MA, Petras H, Chen D, Chodzen G. The Gender Minority Stress and Resilience Measure: Psychometric validity of an adolescent extension. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology. 7 (3):278-290, 2019. PMID: 33224698. PMCID: PMC7678225
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Hidalgo MA, Layland E, Kubicek K, Kipke M. Sexual racism, psychological symptoms, and mindfulness among ethnically/racially-diverse young men who have sex with men: A moderation analysis. Mindfulness. 2019; 11(2):452-461. PMID: 35082927. PMCID: PMC8789003
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Chen D, Abrams M, Clark L, Ehrensaft D, Tishelman AC, Chan YM, Garofalo R, Olson-Kennedy J, Rosenthal SM, Hidalgo MA. Psychosocial Characteristics of Transgender Youth Seeking Gender-Affirming Medical Treatment: Baseline Findings from the Trans Youth Care Study. J Adolesc Health. 2020:S1054-139X(20)30453-5. PMID: 32839079, PMCID: Not yet assigned
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Chen D, Berona J, Chan YM, Ehrensaft D, Garofalo R, Hidalgo MA, Rosenthal SM, Tishelman AC, & Olson-Kennedy J. Psychosocial functioning in transgender youth after 2 years of hormones. New England Journal of Medicine 2023; 388; 240-250. PMID: 36652355. PMCID: PMC10081536.
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Hidalgo MA, Chen D, Tishelman AC, Olson-Kennedy J, Chan YM, Garofalo R, Petras H, Rosenthal SM and Ehrensaft D. Childhood Gender Diversity and Mental Health: Protocol for the Longitudinal, Observational Gender Journey Project. JMIR Res Protoc 2024 13: e55558.
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Taylor JM, Nguyen NH, Huang KX, Pfaff MJ, Ranganathan K, Rada RC, Litwin MS, Hidalgo MA, Lee JC. Patient-Reported Preoperative Depression as a Predictor of Psychosocial Outcomes After Gender-Affirming Facial Feminization Surgery. Ann Surg 2024.
Insurance
- Aetna
- Anthem Blue Cross
- Blue Shield of California
- Centivo
- Cigna
- First Health
- Health Net of California
- Interplan (part of HealthSmart)
- L.A. Care
- Medicare Advantage
- MultiPlan
- UFCM Health System
- Prime Health Services
- Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
- TRICARE
- UnitedHealthcare
The list of health care plans above may not be comprehensive and could change.
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