Study Finds Older Age at First Presentation to Gender-affirming Care Associated With Increased Mental Health Concerns Among Youth With Gender Dysphoria

A study finds that among youth experiencing gender dysphoria, those who first presented to gender-affirming medical care later into adolescence, rather than at younger ages, had higher rates of psychoactive medication use and experienced worse mental health. The study, “Mental Health and Timing of Gender-Affirming Care,” is in the October 2020 Pediatrics and is published online Sept. 21. The study was conducted at the Transgender Youth Clinic at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, an interdisciplinary clinic that provides gender-affirming medical care to youth with gender dysphoria who are in puberty but under age 18. Of the 300 youths studied, there were 116 adolescents who presented to care at less than 15 years of age and 184 young people who presented at age 15 or older. Upon presentation to care, more older-presenting than younger-presenting youth reported a diagnosis of depression (46% vs. 30%), had self-harmed (40% vs. 28%), had considered suicide (52% vs. 40%), had attempted suicide (17% vs. 9%), and required psychoactive medications (36% vs. 23%). Further study is required to better describe the mental health trajectories of transgender youth and to determine whether mental health status or age at initiation of gender-affirming care correlates with psychological well-being in adulthood, the authors conclude.

###

The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.