Transgender and nonbinary youths, a population with an exceptional risk of suicide and poor mental health outcomes, were found to have 60% lower odds of depression after receiving gender-affirming intervention.
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A prospective observational cohort study was performed to examine transgender and nonbinary youths who sought care at Seattle Children's Gender Clinic, an urban multidisciplinary gender clinic. Investigators evaluated the changes in mental health over the first year of receiving puberty blockers and/or gender-affirming hormones to see if they impacted depression, anxiety, and/or suicidality.
Main outcomes were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scales. Generalized estimating equations were used to assess change from baseline in each outcome at 3, 6, and 12 months of follow-up.
Among the 104 youths (13-20 years) who participated, 63 were transmasculine individuals (60.6%), 27 transfeminine individuals (26%), 10 nonbinary or gender fluid individuals (9.6%), and 4 individuals who didn't know or did not respond to the gender identity question (3.8%).
At baseline, more than half of individuals (56.7%) had moderate to severe depression and exactly half had moderate to severe anxiety. Self-harm or suicidal thoughts were reported by 45 individuals (43.3%).
By the end of the 12 month follow-up study, 69 individuals (66.3%) received PBs, GAHs, or both. 35 youths hadn't received either intervention (33.7%). While there was no association found between these interventions and anxiety (adjusted odds ratio, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.41, 2.51) investigators found promising results.
With an adjustment for temporal trends and potential cofounders,
individuals were 60% less likely to experience depression (aOR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.17-0.95) and
73% less likely to experience suicidality (aOR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.11-0.65) when
compared to youths who did not received gender-affirming interventions.