Background: Gender affirming hormone treatment (GAHT) is safe and can significantly improve health-related outcomes. However, there is limited prospective data assessing psychosocial outcomes of transgender and gender diverse people receiving GAHT.
Methods: Interim analysis of a prospective, observational study of adolescents and adults commencing GAHT in Sydney, Australia. Surveys assessing dysphoria (Transgender Congruence Scale; TCS), depression (Beck Depression Inventory; BDI), and anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7; GAD-7) were administered at baseline, 6-, 12-, and 24-months after commencement of GAHT. Interim baseline, 6- and 12-month data will be presented.
Results: To date, 139 participants have been enrolled (study recruitment ongoing). Median age of study participants was 22-years (range 14-51). Birth-assigned sex was male (41%) and female (59%), respectively. Gender identity was varied and self-reported as non-binary (39%), male (25%), female (22%), fluid (6%), and other/unspecified (8%). Self reported psychological comorbidity was high at baseline with prevalent diagnoses of depression (32%), ADHD (30%), anxiety (26%), and ASD (12%).
TCS (scored out of 5, higher scores equate to greater congruency between an individual’s appearance and gender identity) measured 2.4±0.5 at baseline. Following 6- and 12-months of GAHT, TCS improved to 3.2±0.7 and 3.4±0.7 respectively, indicating lower levels of dysphoria (p<0.001). Mean baseline BDI measured 21±11, indicating moderate levels of depression. Following 6-months of GAHT, BDI improved to 14±10, indicating mild depression only (p<0.001). Improvements in BDI were durable and persisted at the 12-month assessments (BDI 14±10). Baseline GAD-7 score measured 9±6, indicating moderate anxiety, improving to 7±6 after 6-months of GAHT (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Interim analyses of an ongoing study in treatment naïve individuals commencing GAHT demonstrated that survey measures of dysphoria, depression, and anxiety improve significantly following commencement of GAHT across a diverse spectrum of gender identities.