Adolescents with Gender Dysphoria: Reflections on Some Contemporary Clinical and Research Issues

Mental Health Status of Cisgender and Gender-Diverse Secondary School Students in China

“…Zucker 5 has noted that it is important to consider the difficulties in determining the true prevalence of gender dysphoria in light of the influence of social factors. Masculine behaviors in individuals AFAB are more tolerated than feminine behavior in individuals AMAB.…”

“…Conversely, within the TGNC group, transgender boys, nonbinary youth AFAB, and questioning youth AFAB had a much lower risk of being bullied at school. As previously mentioned, this outcome may reflect greater societal tolerance toward women behaving “manly” than men behaving “girly.” 5 For the TGNC group, the vulnerability of bullying resulted from the sex-atypical expression of gender identity. 29 This pattern may also reveal a cultural element in Chinese schools in which femininity is not encouraged.…”

“… 3 Today, the number of transgender adolescents appears to be increasing around the world, and there is an increasing number of adolescents being referred to specialized gender identity clinics. 4 , 5 The decreased stigmatization of sexual and gender minorities, the availability of information on the internet, and increased media attention may be increasing the likelihood of adolescents self-identifying as transgender or gender nonconforming (TGNC).…”

“…6 , 7 , 8 Research has shown that a significant proportion of adolescents with gender dysphoria have a history of other psychiatric diagnoses. 5 , 9 There are also a number of studies reporting a high percentage of suicidal ideation, self-harm, and suicide attempts in adolescents with gender dysphoria. 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 Compared with their cisgender peers, TGNC youth are more likely to report mental health problems such as anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation.…”

Challenges in Timing Puberty Suppression for Gender-Nonconforming Adolescents

“…5 However, authors of case histories and a parentreport study warrant that gender identity development is diverse, and a new developmental pathway is proposed involving youth with postpuberty adolescent-onset transgender histories. [6][7][8] These youth did not yet participate in the early evaluation studies. 5,9 This raises the question whether the positive outcomes of early medical interventions also apply to adolescents who more recently present in overwhelming large numbers for transgender care, including those that come at an older age, possibly without a childhood history of GI.…”