On the mental health of transgender children...Science!
More than enough people on the right think that transgender people transitioning is a sign of a mental disorder.
Dear Connie. I cannot speak professionally but can only repeat what professionals say about what you are going through. I believe it is called Gender Dysphoria, I hope I got the spelling right, and am saddened by the fact that North Carolina doesn’t provide the help you need to readjust from the mental disorder you suffer with. It appears that allowing you to use a bathroom, locker room or shower of your choice only reinforces the disorder not helps to correct it. As compassionate legislator I seek to help people who are suffering. If you are willing I can investigate promoting legislation to help those who suffer from this disorder and with your help can work to alleviate the pain and suffering caused by this disorder. I’m willing to help if you are willing to be helped and help others.
--NC Rep. Mark Brody, cosponsor of HB 2
Of course, Brody has no science supporting his view.
A new study of the state of transgender children who have socially transitioned has appeared in the Journal of the Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: Mental Health and Self-Worth in Socially Transitioned Transgender Youth by Durwood, McLaughlin and Olson.
Abstract:
Objective: Social transitions are increasingly common for transgender children. A social transition involves a child presenting to other people as a member of the "opposite" gender in all contexts (e.g., wearing clothes and using pronouns of that gender). Little is known about the well-being of socially transitioned transgender children. This study examined self-reported depression, anxiety, and self-worth in socially transitioned transgender children compared with 2 control groups: age- and gender-matched controls and siblings of transgender children.
Results: Transgender children reported depression and self-worth that did not differ from their matched-control or sibling peers (p = .311), and they reported marginally higher anxiety (p = .076). Compared with national averages, transgender children showed typical rates of depression (p = .290) and marginally higher rates of anxiety (p = .096). Parents similarly reported that their transgender children experienced more anxiety than children in the control groups (p = .002) and rated their transgender children as having equivalent levels of depression (p = .728).
Conclusion: These findings are in striking contrast to previous work with gender-nonconforming children who had not socially transitioned, which found very high rates of depression and anxiety. These findings lessen concerns from previous work that parents of socially transitioned children could be systematically underreporting mental health problems.
For transgender children, support is crucial, suggests a new study published in the journal American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Each of the kids surveyed in this study have full support from their families and had already transitioned socially. Unlike many transgender people, who may struggle for years trying to conform to the gender they were assigned at birth or face backlash from family and friends when they come out, the kids in this study are already using the pronouns and wearing the clothing appropriate to their gender, with support from their families.
And it makes a huge difference. Compared to both their peers and their siblings, children who have been allowed to transition socially are at no greater risk of depression. This study confirms findings of a similar study done in February of 2016.
Kids who are able to transition have marginally higher risk of anxiety than their cisgender peers. This isn't too surprising, since even familial support doesn't diminish the oppression transgender kids face in a world where they often can't even go to the bathroom in peace.
Despite growing media attention for transgender children, we still have so much work to do to make sure growing up transgender is a beautiful and peaceful experience.
Science says: Support is required.
Anti-transgender legislation is not support.
More discussion: Medscape: Good Outcomes With Early Transition in Transgender Youth by Batya Swift Yasgur, MA, LSW
Comments
what an ass that NC Mark Brody Rep. is
wow. I don't even know how it feels to be a man, how much less could I know how it feels to be a man, who wants to be a woman. WTF don't the people leave transgender persons alone and in peace with themselves and with what they feel and want.
With regards to the studies you mention, I would like to know what ages these kids had. Because I am just puzzled, sometimes people call older teenagers 'kids' and I like to know at what age 'kids' come out and want to be open about what they feel their gender should be.
Are there transgender kids who open up about their transgender desires under puberty age? Sorry for my ignorance in these issues. I seldom comment and also not always read your essays, because it's just a subject issue I don't feel I have anything I could say about. But this NC Rep with niceties of calling someone to have a mental disorder is a big dreck insult, imo and made me say something here.
https://www.euronews.com/live
under puberty age
Yes. Leelah Alcorn was one of them. From the linked article:
So, an honest question is: what does one mean by "open up" -- to oneself, or to others? I can certainly see why Ms. Alcorn would delay coming out to her family as trans as long as she did. Her parents were members of a dangerous "Christian" cult which beLIEved that being trans was some sort of "sin" or "disease" and could be "cured".
An article with a reasonable view toward such "cures" can be found here.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
thx. I definitely have to read further
I try to remember when, as a child, I became aware of my gender. And I try to imagine when I became aware of and detected 'the other gender' and saw them as an object of my curiosity and something I found 'cute'. I think becoming beware of my gender was very early (like six or so) induced through the way adults reacted to me. Detecting 'the other gender' as something 'interesting and causing emotional feelings I didn't know before', started with puberty. These were times when 'open' and in your 'face' images didn't happen yet on TV and no intertubes etc. As that has changed and puberty in girls starts earlier these days than decades ago, I can understand now 'kid's being aware of their transgender feelings'. I should read more about it. Sorry that I am too tired often to respond on time. Btw, in my environment as a youngster I had never experienced "religious motivated" attempts to induce feelings of being a sinner with regards to gender related behavior. Something that's still unimaginable to me. It shows I hadn't much exposure to the "American upright Christians, who manipulate their kids".
Ok, that's not my thing to talk about. It's just outside my experiences.
https://www.euronews.com/live
the American Dominionist cult
The flavor of so-called "Christians" who pull this kind of scheisse is almost unknown in Europe, because those who maintained these beLIEfs were sentenced to transportation during the Age of Monarchy (i.e., up to roughly 1918, but really between roughly 1400 and 1800).
However, if you live and grew up where these "heretics" were transported to, such as North America, Australia, or central and southern Africa, this has been part and parcel of your life, all your life. Many jurisdictions in these places are run by these people. (Example: Uganda; another example, all former-Confederate USA States.)
I envy you not having had Dominionism as a dominant driving force in your life.
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
oh, that's a convincing comment
I never thought about it this way. And paid little attention of why religious extremism and cults or sects could be found so much more often here in the US than in Germany. It always puzzled me. Thanks.
https://www.euronews.com/live
@mimi Participants in the study
Participants in the study were 9-14, I believe.
Ignoramus maximus.
Xenu, what an ignoramus!
Where was this Southern-fried bonehead during the decades wherein homosexual and transsexual orientations were determined (by actual science) to not be disease or disorder conditions?
And his insistence on referring to transsexuality as a "disorder" shows Mr. Brody (Grody Brody) as not only being ignorant, but an ignorant one who cherishes his ignorance, thus qualifying him as an ignoramus.
How do such "people" get elected to positions of trust and power? I think that General Smedley Butler has the one-word answer:
Money!
"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar
"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides
A few points
There are a few points here to look over.
To begin, Gender Dysphoria is a disorder as classified under DSM 5. The Rep is correct about that as in it is a real diagnosis that does exist. However the rest of his statement is incorrect as his analysis regarding treatment is the opposite of actual treatment.
As the APA states:
So I mean it is one thing to state that being transgender is a mental disorder; it is another if a transgender person is suffering from Gender Dysphoria.