Browsing by Subject "transsukupuolisuus"

Transgender youth experience extreme gender incongruence: their gender identities differ from their sex assigned at birth. The number of referrals to gender identity research clinics, where the need of gender-affirming care is assessed, has been growing over the past decade across Europe and North America. According to research, depression is more common among transgender adolescents compared to their peers, who do not experience gender incongruence. Psychiatric problems may make deciding whether to begin gender-affirming medical treatments even more difficult for the healthcare personnel. The aim of this review was to examine how depression among transgender youth and the timing of gender-affirming care are related, and if the prevalence of depression will change after gaining access to gender-affirming care. According to the reviewed literature, an earlier access to gender-affirming care may be associated with a smaller prevalence of depression among transgender youth and after approximately a year of gender-affirming care, depressive symptoms are less common. However, the interpretation of these results is limited due to possible selection bias regarding the research material and the scarce amount of literature in general. More research on the subject is needed, so the growing number of referrals to gender-identity examinations can be handled with evidence-based policies that consider the mental health of these vulnerable youth.