#Trans youths who get gender-affirming care earlier in life are less likely to face issues like #depression and #anxiety, a study published in Pediatrics found.
By Julie Moreau
#Transgender #children who receive gender-affirming medical care earlier in their lives are less likely to experience #mentalhealthissues like #depression and #anxiety, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics.
“The study highlights that timely access to gender-affirming medical care is really important for #youth with #gender dysphoria,” said the study’s lead author, Dr. Julia C. Sorbara, a pediatric endocrinologist at the Hospital for Sick #Children in Toronto. Gender dysphoria involves a conflict between an individual’s sex assigned at birth and their gender identity.
The study found that #transgender #youths who sought that type of care — which, for minors, most commonly includes puberty blockers, hormones or both — at a later age and further into puberty were more distressed and more likely to suffer from #mentalhealthissues.
“A major part of puberty is developing physical changes, and for #youth with gender dysphoria, they begin to develop physical changes that are not in keeping with the gender they identify,” Sorbara said. “This can be very distressing for these #young people.”
The study included 300 #transgender minors aged 10 to 17 who were being treated at the Hospital for Sick #Children. The researchers tracked their ages at the time they first sought care at the Toronto clinic and their reported difficulties with #mentalhealth.
More than three-quarters of the #youths who went to Sorbara’s clinic reported #mentalhealthproblems, including #depression and #anxiety, according to the study.
“The most common were depressive and #anxiety disorders, as well as having considered #suicide at some point — unfortunately not so out of keeping with what’s been reported from other clinics,” Sorbara said.
#JamesDonaldson notes:
Welcome to the “next chapter” of my life… being a voice and an advocate for #mentalhealthawarenessandsuicideprevention, especially pertaining to our younger generation of students and student-athletes.
Getting men to speak up and reach out for help and assistance is one of my passions. Us men need to not suffer in silence or drown our sorrows in alcohol, hang out at bars and strip joints, or get involved with drug use.
Having gone through a recent bout of #depression and #suicidalthoughts myself, I realize now, that I can make a huge difference in the lives of so many by sharing my story, and by sharing various resources I come across as I work in this space. #http://bit.ly/JamesMentalHealthArticle
Researchers found that those issues were more likely the older the #children were when they arrived at the clinic. When compared to #children ages 10 to 15, #children older than 15 were more likely to have reported diagnoses of #depression (46 percent vs. 30 percent) and to have self-harmed (40 percent vs. 28 percent), considered #suicide (52 percent vs. 40 percent), attempted #suicide (17 percent vs. 9 percent) and required psychoactive medications (36 percent vs. 23 percent).
Sorbara’s study follows another study, also published in Pediatrics, that found that #transgender individuals who received puberty blockers during adolescence had lower risks of suicidal thoughts as #adults than those who wanted the medication but could not get access to it.
#Suicide is a significant problem facing #transgender #children and #adults. The 2020 National Survey on #LGBTQ #Youth #MentalHealth by The Trevor Project, an #LGBTQ #youth crisis intervention and #suicideprevention organization, found that 40 percent of #LGBTQ #youths said they have “seriously considered” attempting #suicide in the past year.
A 2019 report from the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law found a connection between experiences of discrimination, including in medical care, and suicidality for #transgender #adults, with participants who had experienced discrimination being twice as likely to have attempted #suicide compared to those who had not experienced discrimination.
Another recent study found that almost 60 percent of #transgender #adults were close to someone who has attempted #suicide and 25 percent knew someone who had committed #suicide and that such exposure has negative impacts on their #mentalhealth.
Sorbara also noted that participants in her team’s study were only those “who want to and can access care.” She said many #transgender #children and #adolescents may want or would benefit from such care but are unable to get access to it. She said she hopes her study lends “support to efforts to ensure this care is readily available for the #youth that need it.”
The ability of #transgender #youths to receive gender-affirming medical care has become a political issue, with several states considering measures this legislative session to block access to that type of care. Republican legislators in at least eight states have introduced proposals that would punish #doctors and other #medicalprofessionals who provide the kind of gender-affirming medical care described in Sorbara’s study. Bills in Missouri and New Hampshire called such care “child abuse.”
In February, over 200 #medicalprofessionals signed a letter opposing the bills on the grounds that they “violate the rights and freedoms of #transgender #young people.”
“Many credible studies of #trans #youth populations have demonstrated that gender-affirming care is linked to significantly reduced rates of #depression, #anxiety, substance abuse and #suicideattempts,” the letter says. “To put it plainly, gender-affirming care saves lives and allows #trans #young people to thrive.”
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James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
