Transgender Children More Likely to Suffer From Mental Illness

Details: Category: LGBT Issues; Published on Saturday, 03 March 2012 16:28; Written by Lara Landis; Hits: 424

41 percent of transgender people in the United States have attempted to commit suicide, according to Yahoo news. The Endocrine division at Childrens' Hospital Boston sampled children in their care and found out that children who suffer from gender dysphoria are more likely to suffer from mental health problems.

Stigmatization and a lack of laws preventing discrimination against people on the basis of gender identity contribute to the high rates of mental illness within the community. An additional problem for parents and adults with gender identity disorder is the lack of insurance coverage for hormone replacement therapy.

Treatment for gender identity disorder includes hormones to develop the secondary characteristics of the opposite sex. If a dysphoric individual goes without treatment, they are more likely to develop depression and attempt suicide. Anti-depressants can mask this problem, but transition prevents additional mental disorders from developing.

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Transgender Children More Likely to Suffer Mental Health Problems Without Treatment