Gender Dysphoria in Adults: An Overview and Primer for Psychiatrists

Abstract

Regardless of their area of specialization, adult psychiatrists are likely to encounter gender-variant patients; however, medical school curricula and psychiatric residency training programs devote little attention to their care. This article aims to assist adult psychiatrists who are not gender specialists in the delivery of respectful, clinically competent, and culturally attuned care to gender-variant patients, including those who identify as transgender or transsexual or meet criteria for the diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria (GD) as defined by The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition). The article will also be helpful for other mental health professionals. The following areas are addressed: evolution of diagnostic nosology, epidemiology, gender development, and mental health assessment, differential diagnosis, treatment, and referral for gender-affirming somatic treatments of adults with GD.

Pharmacotherapy considerations in transgender individuals living with human immunodeficiency virus

“…The outdated use of “transvestism” and negative connotation of the word “disorder” were modified in the recently released ICD‐11 where a new category, conditions related to sexual health, carries the diagnosis of “gender incongruence” 16 . The DSM5 also removed “disorder” used previously and now carries the term “gender dysphoria” 17 . However, the diagnosis of “gender dysphoria” remains in a manual of mental health disorders so still carries somewhat of a negative connotation, which can lead to detrimental effects in accessing health care or treatment.…”

Identity, stigma, and HIV risk among transgender women: a qualitative study in Jiangsu Province, China

“…Transgender women are person assigned male sex at birth who self-identify as women or another feminine gender [1–3]. Although transgender women have been documented in many cultures for thousands of years, the population size and distribution of transgender women worldwide is unclear due to stigma, marginalized status, and limited attention in research [4].…”

Chromosome Analysis in the Assessment for Gender Affirmation Process: A Retrospective Study

“…Bu dönemlerde eşlik eden ruhsal sorunlar da artış göstermektedir. Erişkin dönemde ise bireysel gelişim özellikleri, çevrenin tepkisi ve imkanları doğrultusunda bazı bireyler cinsiyet kimliklerini kısmen de olsa giyim ve davranışları ile dışa vurabilmektedir (Byne ve ark. 2018).…”