Baseline Psychological Functioning of Transgender and Gender Expansive Adolescents in a Gender Affirming Outpatient Clinic

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this study is to understand baseline psychological functioning and protective factors for transmasculine, transfeminine, and gender expansive youth seeking services at a gender affirming outpatient clinic. This study also examines differences between these groups.

Method

137 TGE youth aged 12–21 completed the Behavior Assessment Scale for Children, Third Edition. Of the 137 participants, 82 (59.4%) identified as transmasculine, 26 (18.8%) identified as transfeminine, and 29 (21.0%) identified as non-binary/gender expansive. Additionally, a majority (79.6%) identified as White. Several analyses were conducted to explore baseline psychological functioning across different groups and look at the impact of psychotherapy and the current political climate.

Results

Results showed no significant differences between gender identity groups for depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, attention problems, relations with parents, interpersonal relationships, self-esteem, self-reliance, external locus of control, and ego strength. For all variables except anxiety and self-esteem, participants scored in the average range. There was not a significant difference by identity in access to psychotherapy or treatment access on psychological functioning psychological functioning. We also found no significant differences between psychological functioning and sociopolitical events. However, gender identity moderated the relationship between self-esteem and attention problems.

Conclusions

These results suggest that there are few differences found between groups of TGE youth regarding mental health symptoms in this sample. The results suggest additional research is needed to understand what screening measures are appropriate for use with TGE youth and provides evidence that not all clinical samples of TGE youth are experiencing clinically significant mental health symptoms.