detrans.ai 

Back to studies

NIH-finansierad blockerarstudie fann ingen förbättring av psykisk hälsa på 2 år; ingen kontrollgrupp, 37 % data saknas

Psykisk och känslomässig hälsa hos unga efter 24 månaders könsbekräftande medicinsk vård som inleddes med pubertetsbromsning

Kohort- & registerstudierPuberttetsblockerarePsykisk hälsa & suicid
Authors
Johanna Olson-Kennedy, Ramon Durazo-Arvizu, Liyuan Wang, Carolyn F. Wong, Diane Chen, Diane Ehrensaft, Marco A. Hidalgo, Yee-Ming Chan, Robert Garofalo, Asa E. Radix, Stephen M. Rosenthal
Journal
medRxiv (preprint)
Year
2025
Source
https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.14.25327614

Summary

This NIH-funded study followed 94 children and young teens (average age 11) who started puberty blockers at four large US gender clinics. Over two years, their own reports of depression and emotional wellbeing, and parents' reports of behaviour, did not measurably improve. Average scores were normal from the start. The authors read this as a sign blockers probably prevented a decline, but with no comparison group that claim is untested. More than a third of depression data were missing at two years, about a third started cross-sex hormones during the study, and the results reported differ from those first planned. In 2024 the lead author told The New York Times she had delayed publishing for fear the results would be "weaponized"; they appeared as an unreviewed preprint (early version) in May 2025. It shows no measurable mental health benefit.

Key findings

  • 94 unga i åldern 8 till 16 (medelålder 11, 52 % födda som pojkar, de flesta i tidig pubertet) som började med pubertetsblockerare vid fyra amerikanska kliniker följdes i 2 år.
  • Deras egna rapporter om depression och känslomässigt mående, och föräldrarnas rapporter om problem, visade ingen mätbar förändring under 2 år. Bara regelbrytande beteende minskade något.
  • 18 % hade måttlig eller svår depression i början (16 av 88) och 23 % efter 2 år (13 av 59).
  • Bara 59 av 94 hade depressionsdata efter 2 år, så 37 % saknades.
  • 11 började med östrogen eller testosteron under första året och 20 till under andra, så en tredjedel tog korskönshormoner under studien.
  • 11 unga rapporterade självmordstankar under de 6 månaderna före starten och 5 efter 2 år. Det förekom inga självmordsdödsfall.
  • Författarna drog slutsatsen att blockerare ‘troligen’ förebygger att psykisk hälsa blir sämre, även om studien utan jämförelsegrupp inte kunde testa detta.
  • NIH:s lägesrapport förväntade minskningar av depression, ångest, traumasymtom, självskada och självmordstankar, samt bättre kroppsbild och livskvalitet. Dessa förbättringar visades inte.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Medical interventions for youth with gender dysphoria can include the use of gonadotropin releasing hormone analogs (GnRHas) for suppression of endogenous puberty. This analysis aimed to understand the impact of medical intervention initiated with GnRHas on psychological well-being among youth with gender dysphoria over 24 months.

METHODS: Participants were enrolled as part of the Trans Youth Care United States Study. Eligibility criteria for youth included a diagnosis of Gender Dysphoria and pubertal initiation. Youth with precocious puberty or pre-existing osteoporosis were ineligible. Youth reported on depressive symptoms, emotional health and suicidality at baseline, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after initiation of GnRHas. Parent/caretaker completed the Child Behavior Checklist at baseline, 12 and 24 months after initiation of GnRHas. Latent Growth-Curve Models analyzed trajectories of change over the 24-month period.

RESULTS: Ninety-four youth aged 8-16 years (mean=11.2 y) were predominately Non-Hispanic White (56%), early pubertal (86%) and assigned male at birth (52%). Depression symptoms, emotional health and CBCL constructs did not change significantly over 24 months. At no time points were the means of depression, emotional health or CBCL constructs in a clinically concerning range.

CONCLUSION: Participants initiating medical interventions for gender dysphoria with GnRHas have self- and parent-reported psychological and emotional health comparable with the population of adolescents at large, which remains relatively stable over 24 months. Given that the mental health of youth with gender dysphoria who are older is often poor, it is likely that puberty blockers prevent the deterioration of mental health.

Conclusion

Participants initiating medical interventions for gender dysphoria with GnRHas have self- and parent-reported psychological and emotional health comparable with the population of adolescents at large, which remains relatively stable over 24 months. Given that the mental health of youth with gender dysphoria who are older is often poor, it is likely that puberty blockers prevent the deterioration of mental health. (Full-text conclusion: the average mental health as reported by both the youth and parents remains in a clinically non-significant range over two years.)