Ingen forskjeller i mental helse funnet for sosialt transitionerede barn

Effekten av sosial overgang i relasjon til kjønn for barn og ungdom: en systematisk oversikt

Systematiske og evidensoversikter Førpubertal desistens Psykisk helse og selvmord

Authors: Ruth Hall, Jo Taylor, Catherine Elizabeth Hewitt, Claire Heathcote, Stuart William Jarvis, Trilby Langton, Lorna Fraser
Journal: Archives of Disease in Childhood
Year: 2024
Source: adc.bmj.com/content/109/Suppl_2/s12

Summary

Social transition means changing name, pronouns or appearance to live as another gender. York researchers found only 11 studies of how this affects children and teenagers with gender dysphoria, mostly of low quality. Most were one-off snapshots rather than following children over time. Many recruited through support groups, and five used the same group of US children. Socially transitioned children generally did not differ in mental health from comparison groups. Results for teenagers conflicted: using a chosen name was linked to less depression, but transitioning as a teenager was linked to more suicide attempts than transitioning as an adult. Two studies linked childhood transition to dysphoria lasting longer. The authors conclude that neither benefit nor harm has been shown. The review supports 'we do not know'. Critics have disputed how the York reviews judged study quality.

Key findings

Av over 28 000 treff i fem forskningsdatabaser til og med april 2022 kvalifiserte bare 11 studier. Åtte var øyeblikksbilder, og bare én fulgte barn fremover i tid.
Kvaliteten var lav til moderat, med 1,5 til 5 av 8 poeng. Hovedproblemet var utvalg av folk som valgte å delta eller ble henvist av klinikker, og bare 3 studier målte utfall etter en oppfølgingsperiode.
Fem av de 11 studiene brukte det samme amerikanske prosjektet, som rekrutterte gjennom støttegrupper. Familiene var mer velstående enn gjennomsnittet, og de fleste foreldrene støttet tidlig overgang.
Barn som gikk gjennom sosial overgang viste ingen forskjell i depresjon sammenlignet med befolkningen generelt, søsken eller matchede barn. Men foreldre rapporterte mer angst enn i befolkningen generelt og hos matchede barn.
Hos tenåringer var bruk av et valgt navn knyttet til færre depresjonssymptomer og færre selvmordstanker. Men én studie fant at overgang som tenåring i stedet for som voksen var knyttet til flere selvmordstanker det siste året og flere selvmordsforsøk i livet.
To studier koblet sosial overgang i barndommen til at dysfori fortsatte. Den ene fant at den oftere vedvarte inn i tenårene (tydelig for barn født som gutter). Den andre fant at 92,7 % fortsatt identifiserte seg som transkjønnede omtrent 5,4 år senere, og at de fleste gikk videre til medisinsk behandling.
Forfatterne konkluderer med at ingen studie har fulgt barn fremover i tid med en rettferdig sammenligningsgruppe. Leger og retningslinjer bør innrømme at det ikke finnes sterk evidens for verken nytte eller skade.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria or incongruence are being referred to specialist gender services. Historically, social transitioning prior to assessment was rare but it is becoming more common. AIM: To identify and synthesise studies assessing the outcomes of social transition for children and adolescents (under 18) experiencing gender dysphoria/incongruence. METHODS: A systematic review and narrative sythesis. Database searches (Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science) were perfomed in April 2022. Studies reporting any outcome of social transition (full or partial) for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria/incongruence were included. An adapted version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for cohort studies was used to appraise study quality. RESULTS: Eleven studies were included (children (n=8) and adolescents (n=3)) and most were of low quality. The majority were from the US, featured community samples and cross-sectional analyses. Different comparator groups were used, and outcomes related to mental health and gender identity reported. Overall studies consistently reported no difference in mental health outcomes for children who socially transitioned across all comparators. Studies found mixed evidence for adolescents who socially transitioned. CONCLUSIONS: It is difficult to assess the impact of social transition on children/adolescents due to the small volume and low quality of research in this area. Importantly, there are no prospective longitudinal studies with appropriate comparator groups assessing the impact of social transition on mental health or gender-related outcomes for children/adolescents. Professionals working in the area of gender identity and those seeking support should be aware of the absence of robust evidence of the benefits or harms of social transition for children and adolescents. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021289659.

Conclusion

The studies included in this review are of low quality, therefore, it is difficult to assess the impact of social transition in this population. Importantly, there are no prospective longitudinal studies with appropriate comparator groups which have assessed the impact of social transition on the mental health or gender-related outcomes for children or adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria/incongruence. Healthcare professionals, clinical guidelines and advocacy organisations should acknowledge the lack of robust evidence of the benefits or harms of social transition when working with children, adolescents and their families.

Methodological limitations

Weak studies: 8 of the 11 studies were one-time snapshots, quality scores ranged from 1.5 to 5 out of 8, and none followed children forward with a fair comparison group. So the review cannot say social transition caused any result (the authors agree).
The same children counted more than once: Five studies came from one US project and two from the Amsterdam clinic. 'Consistent' findings partly reflect the same children being counted again.
Poor comparison groups: None of the community studies of children had a suitable comparison group. Several compared transitioned children with the general population or with siblings without dysphoria, which cannot show whether transition helped or harmed.
Other explanations for lasting dysphoria: Children with stronger dysphoria may be more likely to transition. That could explain the link with dysphoria lasting, rather than transition causing it.
Results tallied, not combined: The studies were too different to combine mathematically, so the review mostly counted which direction results pointed. This ignores how big or how precise each result was.
Many tests in small studies: Small studies tested many outcomes (one study tested six measures of suicidality, and two came out positive). Single striking results in either direction may be chance (the authors note this).
Out of date and English only: Searches ended in April 2022 and only English-language journal studies were included (the authors note this), so later studies are missing.
Unclear measurement: Social transition was defined broadly and mostly reported by parents or the young people themselves. Only 3 studies measured it in a standard way, and definitions varied a lot.
May not apply to today's clinic patients: Most studies were US-based and drew on community or support-group samples. These may not resemble the mostly female teenagers whose dysphoria began in adolescence who now make up most clinic referrals.
Published criticism of the York reviews: Noone et al. (2025) and a Yale Integrity Project paper (McNamara et al., 2024) argued that the way the York reviews judged quality, and their conclusions, were flawed. Others have defended the reviews.
Paid for by NHS England: The review was funded to inform the Cass Review. The authors declare no conflicts and say the funder played no part in how it was done or interpreted.

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Summary

Key findings

Abstract

Conclusion