According to a new American study, treatment with gender-affirming hormones allows transgender and non-binary youth to have a significant improvement in the feeling of alignment of their physical appearance with their gender and less depression and anxiety.
- Many transgender or non-binary adolescents suffer from gender dysphoria, or the lingering distress caused by the discrepancy between their gender identity and their physical appearance.
- Gender-affirming hormones (testosterone or estradiol) are used as a treatment to promote gender-conforming secondary sex characteristics, such as breast development or facial hair.
Through treatment with gender-affirming hormones, transgender and non-binary youth experience significant improvements in feelings of alignment in their physical appearance with their gender, as well as lasting improvements in depression and anxiety. This is revealed by a new American study published on January 19 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
“Young transgender suffer from more depression and anxiety”
“Our results provide strong scientific evidence that improved appearance congruence with hormone treatment is strongly linked to better mental health outcomes in transgender and non-binary youth”said in a communicated lead author Diane Chen, a pediatric psychologist in the Sex and Gender Development Program at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago and associate professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “This is critical, given that transgender youth suffer from more depression and anxiety, and are at greater risk of suicidality than cisgender youth”she continues.
The positive impact of hormones on the well-being of transgender youth confirmed
This study followed 315 transgender and non-binary youth between the ages of 12 and 20. Study visits took place every six months for two years after the start of treatment, which is the longest follow-up reported to date. The researchers looked at measures of gender congruence of physical appearance, depression, anxiety, positive affect and life satisfaction. They found that, overall, appearance congruence, positive affect, and life satisfaction increased, while symptoms of depression and anxiety decreased.
“The critical findings we report demonstrate the positive psychological impact of gender-affirming hormones for the treatment of young people with gender dysphoria, added another co-author, physician Johanna Olson-Kennedy. Amid a landscape of misinformation, we hope these findings support the use of timely and appropriate medical interventions for this vulnerable group of adolescents.”
