Sexual Medicine and Andrology Unit, Department of Experimental, Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Psychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
J Endocrinol Invest. 2017 Sep;40(9):953-965. doi: 10.1007/s40618-017-0647-5. Epub 2017 Mar 29.
Gender dysphoria (GD) is associated with clinically significant distress and impairment in social, scholastic, and other important areas of functioning, especially when early onset is reported. The aim of the present study is to assess the psychopathological features associated with GD in adolescence, comparing a group of gender dysphoric adolescents (GDs) with a group of non-referred adolescents (NRs), in terms of body uneasiness, suicide risk, psychological functioning, and intensity of GD.
A sample of 46 adolescents with GD and 46 age-matched NRs was evaluated (mean ± SD age = 16.00 ± 1.49 and 16.59 ± 1.11 respectively, p > 0.05). Subjects were asked to complete the Body Uneasiness Test (BUT) to explore body uneasiness, the Youth Self Report (YSR) to measure psychological functioning, the Multi-Attitude Suicide Tendency Scale (MAST) for suicide risk, and the Gender Identity/Gender Dysphoria Questionnaire for Adolescents and Adults (GIDYQ-AA) for GD assessment.
Adolescents with GD reported significantly higher levels of body uneasiness (BUT-GSI, F = 380.13, p < 0.0001), as well as a worse psychological functioning (YSR, F = 13.06 and p < 0.0001 for "total problem scale" and F = 12.53, p = 0.001 for "internalizing" scale) as compared to NRs. When YSR subscales were considered, GDs showed significantly higher scores in the "withdrawal/depression", "anxiety/depression", and "social problems" (all p < 0.0001). In addition, GDs showed significantly higher levels in the "attraction to death" and "repulsion by life" scales and lower scores in the "attraction to life" scale (all p < 0.0001). Finally, GIDYQ-AA score was significantly lower (meaning a higher level of gender dysphoria symptoms) in GDs vs. NRs (p < 0.0001).
GD adolescents reported significantly higher body dissatisfaction and suicidal risk compared to NRs. In addition, results confirmed a significant impairment in social psychological functioning in adolescents with GD.
性别焦虑症（GD）与临床上显著的痛苦和社会、学业及其他重要功能领域的障碍有关，尤其是当报告发病较早时。本研究旨在评估青春期 GD 相关的精神病理学特征，通过比较一组性别焦虑症青少年（GDs）和一组未就诊青少年（NRs），评估身体不适、自杀风险、心理功能和 GD 严重程度。
评估了 46 名 GD 青少年和 46 名年龄匹配的 NRs（平均年龄 ± 标准差分别为 16.00 ± 1.49 和 16.59 ± 1.11，p > 0.05）。要求受试者完成身体不适测试（BUT）以探索身体不适，青少年自我报告（YSR）以测量心理功能，多态度自杀倾向量表（MAST）以评估自杀风险，以及青少年和成人性别认同/性别焦虑症问卷（GIDYQ-AA）以评估 GD。
GD 青少年报告的身体不适程度明显更高（BUT-GSI，F = 380.13，p < 0.0001），心理功能也更差（YSR，“总问题量表”的 F = 13.06，p < 0.0001；“内化量表”的 F = 12.53，p = 0.001）。当考虑 YSR 子量表时，GDs 在“退缩/抑郁”、“焦虑/抑郁”和“社会问题”方面的得分明显更高（均 p < 0.0001）。此外，GDs 在“对死亡的吸引力”和“对生命的排斥”量表中的得分更高，而在“对生命的吸引力”量表中的得分更低（均 p < 0.0001）。最后，GD 组的 GIDYQ-AA 评分明显低于 NR 组（p < 0.0001），这意味着 GD 青少年的性别焦虑症状水平更高。
GD 青少年报告的身体不满和自杀风险明显高于 NRs。此外，结果证实 GD 青少年的社会心理功能显著受损。
