Citation

Khadr S, Masic U, Clarke V, Lynn RM, Holt V, Carmichael P. Clin. Child Psychol. Psychiatry 2022; 27(4): 1106-1123.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/13591045221108840

PMID

35746847

Abstract

The present research used linked surveillance systems (British Paediatric Surveillance Unit; and the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System) over a 19 month period (1 November 2011-31 May 2013) to notify of young people (4-15.9 years) presenting to secondary care (paediatrics or child and adolescent mental health services) or specialist gender services with features of gender dysphoria (GD). A questionnaire about socio-demographic, mental health, and GD features was completed. Presence of GD was then assessed by experts in the field using then-current criteria (DSM-IV-TR). Incidence across the British Isles was 0.41-12.23 per 100,000. 230 confirmed cases of GD were noted; the majority were white (94%), aged ≥12 years (75.3%), and were assigned female at birth (57.8%). Assigned males presented most commonly in pre-adolescence (63.2%), and assigned females in adolescence (64.7%). Median age-of-onset of experiencing GD was 9.5 years (IQR 5-12); the majority reported long-standing features (2-5 years in 36.1%, ≥5 years in 26.5%). Only 82.5% attended mainstream school. Bullying was reported in 47.4%, previous self-harm in 35.2%, neurodiversity in 16%, and 51.5% had ≥1 mental health condition. These findings suggest GD is rare within this age group but that monitoring wellbeing and ensuring support for co-occurring difficulties is vital.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; adolescent; Child; Child, Preschool; Infant, Newborn; Female; Male; Adolescent; mental health; child; transgender; Gender Identity; Demography; Gender dysphoria; gender diverse; *Self-Injurious Behavior; *Transgender Persons/psychology; *Adolescent Health Services; *Gender Dysphoria/epidemiology/psychology; gender distress