Summary

This study surveyed 78 American young adults, mostly born female, who had identified as trans, often taking medical steps, and later stopped. They reported high rates of mental health diagnoses, many from before they first identified as trans. Most said they had first mistaken mental health problems or trauma for gender distress. Their reasons for detransitioning were mostly internal, such as their own changing thinking, rather than pressure from family or discrimination. Most reported much less gender distress and self-harm, and feeling much better about life, after detransitioning. The authors conclude that for some people, detransition is both possible and helpful. But these were volunteers looking back once on their own experience. The study describes this group well, but cannot show how common detransition is, or that detransitioning caused the improvements.

Key findings

• Trong 78 người, 71 người (91%) sinh ra là nữ; trung bình họ lần đầu nhận mình là người chuyển giới ở tuổi 17 và duy trì trong khoảng 5 năm.
• Hầu hết (83%) đã thực hiện các bước chuyển giới xã hội và 68% các bước y tế: 40% chỉ dùng hormone, 23% hormone và phẫu thuật, và 5% chỉ phẫu thuật.
• Nhìn lại, dưới 17% nhớ lại phiền muộn giới thời thơ ấu đáp ứng chẩn đoán ngày nay, trong khi 53% cảm thấy 'phiền muộn giới khởi phát nhanh' (phiền muộn giới xuất hiện đột ngột ở tuổi thiếu niên) mô tả đúng họ.
• Các vấn đề sức khỏe tâm thần là phổ biến: 79% từng tự làm hại bản thân, gồm 71% trước, 64% trong và 23% sau khi nhận mình là người chuyển giới.
• Lý do phổ biến nhất được nêu cho việc lần đầu nhận mình là người chuyển giới là nhầm lẫn các vấn đề sức khỏe tâm thần hoặc phản ứng với chấn thương tâm lý với phiền muộn giới; lý do ngừng thường xuất phát từ bên trong hơn là áp lực bên ngoài.
• Trong những người nhận hormone khác giới, 66,7% cảm thấy mình không được thông báo đầy đủ về rủi ro, và chỉ một người nói được thông báo về các lựa chọn khác.
• Chỉ 27,1% tất cả người tham gia nói với bác sĩ chuyển giới của mình rằng họ đã chuyển giới trở lại.
• Các tác giả thừa nhận nghiên cứu của họ không thể cho thấy chuyển giới trở lại phổ biến đến mức nào hay điều gì dự đoán nó.

Abstract

Persons who have renounced a prior transgender identification, often after some degree of social and medical transition, are increasingly visible. We recruited 78 US individuals ages 18-33 years who previously identified as transgender and had stopped identifying as transgender at least six months prior. On average, participants first identified as transgender at 17.1 years of age and had done so for 5.4 years at the time of their participation. Most (83%) participants had taken several steps toward social transition and 68% had taken at least one medical step. By retrospective reports, fewer than 17% of participants met DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Gender Dysphoria in Childhood. In contrast, 53% of participants believed that "rapid-onset gender dysphoria" applied to them. Participants reported a high rate of psychiatric diagnoses, with many of these prior to trans-identification. Most participants (N = 71, 91%) were natal females. Females (43%) were more likely than males (0%) to be exclusively homosexual. Participants reported that their psychological health had improved dramatically since detransi- tion/desistance, with marked decreases in self-harm and gender dysphoria and marked increases in flourishing. The most common reason given for initial trans-identification was confusing mental health issues or reactions to trauma for gender dysphoria. Reasons for detransition were more likely to reflect internal changes (e.g., the participants' own thought processes) than external pressures (e.g., pressure from family). Results suggest that, for some transgender individuals, detransition is both possible and beneficial.

Conclusion

We surveyed a sample of young adults who previously identified as transgender but had detransitioned or desisted. Most participants were born female. Mental health issues, including prior diagnoses and a history of self-harm, were especially common. A history of gender dysphoria during childhood was reported by a nontrivial minority of participants. A slight majority believed their histories were consistent with rapid-onset gender dysphoria. Factors most associated with detransition were internal factors, reflecting psychological change, rather than external factors, such as family or social pressure. Detransitioned participants reported that they had become much less gender dysphoric, and much happier, than they were during their period of trans-identification.