News
We are updating our site with two new studies about minors with gender dysphoria, one that shows a slight improvement in mental well-being in more recent cohorts, and one that calls into question the efficacy of social transition.
The researchers in the Netherlands, who started the hormone blocker to cross-sex hormone protocol, released a study called “Re-evaluation of the Dutch approach: are recently referred transgender youth different compared to earlier referrals?”
The Dutch clinic is seeing large increases in the number of females seeking transition. This is the case in all western countries.
They comment on this increasing number of females:
One suggested theory to explain this shift is that it is easier for birth-assigned females to be open about their transgender feelings, since they experience less stigma when they behave masculine than birth-assigned males who behave in a more feminine manner [16, 31, 32, 33].
Gender clinicians rarely consider the alternative, that masculine girls are bullied for being masculine and don’t value themselves as gender nonconforming girls. Several detransitioned lesbian/bi youth have said this was the case for them and there is evidence homophobic bullying of gender nonconforming youth (also never referenced in these studies) fuels trans identification.
Contrary to other studies with high rates of mental health issues, they note a slight improvement in their recent cohort:
In addition, although we hypothesized that is was possible that present referrals had more psychological problems, the opposite seems the case. Our analyses showed that psychological functioning of the referred adolescents improved somewhat over time. This could be explained by a subtle improvement in externalizing problems and better peer relations. It might be the case that it has become easier to openly identify as transgender in recent years, so that recent referrals do not have to stand up as fiercely for themselves as earlier referrals. In addition, they seem more accepted by peers.
The clinic expresses no concern about social contagion, as other scientists/doctors are, and attribute these increases to more youth coming out and feeling accepted. They also cite superficial similarities to earlier cohorts and recent cohorts, including a large increase in females, to possibly insinuate the groups are the same.
This may suggest that in the early years, only the tip of the iceberg of the actual number of transgender youth was presented to a transgender clinic and this iceberg has come to surface in recent years.
Wong (2019), "Childhood social gender transition and psychosocial well-being: A comparison to cisgender gender-variant children," is another recent study examining the mental health of youth who have been socially transitioned. The sample size is decent, 266 children. Unlike the Trans Youth Project studies often used to justify early social and medical transition, this study has a control group. And unlike Olson (2016), these socially transitioned young people may not have significantly improved mental health.
A quote from the results, emphasis ours:
Results: There was little evidence that psychosocial well-being varied in relation to gender transition status. Parents of CGV children were generally accepting of childhood gender variance, but only poor peer relations predicted lower psychological well-being among these children. Conclusion: Socially transitioned children appear to experience similar levels of psychosocial challenges as CGV children. While further research is needed to evaluate possible effects of childhood social gender transition on well-being, this study suggests experiences of psychosocial challenges among gender-variant children require monitoring irrespective of transition status, and relationships with peers may be especially important to consider.
They report peer relations is a key factor. Poor peer relations actually drives some children towards trans-identification as cited above. It’s worth exploring if more acceptance for gender-variant behavior reduces the need for medical transition to conform to heterosexual gender and sexuality norms.
References:
Arnoldussen, M., Steensma, T.D., Popma, A. et al. Re-evaluation of the Dutch approach: are recently referred transgender youth different compared to earlier referrals? European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 1-9 doi.org/10.1007/s00787-019-01394-6
Lane, Bernard. (2019, September 25). Trans care inquiry backed. The Australian. Retrieved from https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/doctors-back-inquiry-on-kids-trans-care/news-story/6f352bc99da430b194620a2605e8a50d
Olson, K. R., Durwood, L., DeMeules, M., & McLaughlin, K. A. (2016). Mental health of transgender children who are supported in their identities. Pediatrics, 137(3), e20153223. doi:10.1542/peds.2015-3223
Wong, W. I., van der Miesen, A., Tjonnie G., F., MacMullin, L., & VanderLaan, D. (2019). Childhood social gender transition and psychosocial well-being: A comparison to cisgender gender-variant children. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology,7(3), 241-253. doi.org/10.1037/cpp0000295