Study indicates gender transitioning worsens mental health outcomes in children

AP Photo/Chris Jackson

A recent study highlights that parents frequently feel pressured into allowing their children to undergo transitioning as a treatment for gender dysphoria, which may lead to worsened mental health outcomes in the affected young individuals.

Northwestern University psychology professor Michael Bailey conducted an analysis of survey data from 1,655 parents with youth and young adult children identifying as transgender or non-binary, the Daily Wire reported.

The data, gathered by the support group Parents of Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) Kids, involved families whose children began identifying as transgender between the ages of 11 and 21.

The study discovered that gender dysphoria had a more significant impact on girls than boys, with 75% of the affected children being biological females. A history of mental health issues was also prevalent among most children who later struggled with gender dysphoria.

According to the study, parents often reported feeling pressured by healthcare professionals to affirm their child's new gender and provide support for their transition. However, these children's mental health reportedly worsened considerably following their social transition.

Parents of ROGD Kids argue that the study supports their assertion that social contagion plays a crucial role in the development of gender dysphoria in young people, particularly girls who may be more susceptible to group influence and suggestions from their social circles.

“These youth are most likely using ‘gender dysphoria’ to describe general feelings of dysphoria that they have no other name for, and do not understand. Transitioning will not help them. It can only cause irreversible harm and make things much worse,” the group said in a press release.

In response to a Washington Post article suggesting that transgender treatment led to happier outcomes, Parents of ROGD Kids emphasized that, although the surveyed individuals might feel content with their transition, their mental health and social functioning were worse off compared to the total population surveyed.

The group contends that transitioning does not lead to improved social and emotional functioning, adding that 78% of trans respondents reported having serious mental health issues as a child or teenager.