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Reactions: Hormone therapy improves mental health in transgender and non-binary young people

A study published in NEJM that followed a cohort of more than 300 transgender and non-binary youth, aged 12-20, for two years concluded that hormone therapy led to improvements in their symptoms of depression and anxiety.

18/01/2023 - 23:00 CET
 
Expert reactions

Adrián Carrasco Munera - terapia hormonal 2 años EN

Adrián Carrasco Munera

Specialist in Family and Community Medicine and member of the LGTBIQ+ Health Group of the Madrid Society of Family and Community Medicine

Science Media Centre Spain

The study robustly shows the psychosocial benefit of using gender affirming hormones in young trans and non-binary populations. 

Some populations may be under-represented in the sample: there is a large majority of non-racialised participants and under-representation of the extreme ages of the study (12 and 20 years). In addition, the vast majority had advanced pubertal development. 

Despite these apparent limitations, the study benefits from this representation of age and advanced puberty, as it depicts that sector of the young trans population most affected: people whose puberty towards a particular appearance may cause them social discomfort and vulnerability. 

The study adds, to previous evidence, a larger volume of patients and a longitudinal follow-up that other studies did not present. This adds to the robustness of the evidence for hormone use by better assessing changes in appearance and how they positively affect the health of trans and non-binary youth. 

Another point in favour of the article is that, in contrast to previous recent publications, it does not approach dysphoria as a disease to be treated or as a diagnostic coding, but avoids assuming that it is a patent reality in all trans people and approaches it from the perspective of the discomfort and vulnerability that body appearance produces in some people.  

Therefore, the study helps to shed light on the important benefit of being able to offer trans and non-binary children and young people hormonal support for their transition. This kind of evidence is particularly relevant at a time when some voices are persecuting trans children and their experiences.

The author has not responded to our request to declare conflicts of interest
EN

Antonio Guillamón Fernández - terapia hormonal 2 años EN

Antonio Guillamón Fernández

Professor emeritus of Psychobiology

Science Media Centre Spain

The press release only reports the authors' enthusiastic opinion, but the study is based on a well-executed longitudinal design. The work replicates what was already known in adult transmasculine and transfeminine individuals with simpler and less powerful designs. 

The study is well controlled. Only one aspect strikes me: that the differences between transmasculine and transfeminine individuals with respect to anxiety and depression are attributed only to environmental factors when they should also take into account that variables linked to the well-known gender differences in anxiety and depression may be involved.   

The study supports the use of hormone treatment immediately after puberty. It appears that boys who received hormone blockers earlier respond better to this treatment.

The author has not responded to our request to declare conflicts of interest
EN
Publications
Psychosocial Functioning in Transgender Youth after 2 Years of Hormones
  • Research article
  • Peer reviewed
  • Observational study
  • People
Journal
New England Journal of Medicine
Authors

Diane Chen et al.

Study types:
  • Research article
  • Peer reviewed
  • Observational study
  • People
Press release
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