Lee Hyemin, Operario Don, Restar Arjee J, Choo Sungsub, Kim Ranyeong, Eom Yun-Jung, Yi Horim, Kim Seung-Sup
Department of Public Health Sciences, Graduate School of Korea University, Seoul, South Korea.
Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.
Transgend Health. 2023 Jun 1;8(3):273-281. doi: 10.1089/trgh.2021.0171. eCollection 2023 Jun.
Gender identity change efforts (GICEs), sometimes referred to as "conversion therapy," are considered pseudoscientific and unethical practices that are not supported by the existing scientific literature. However, a substantial portion of transgender people face such practices during their lives. We assessed lifetime exposure to GICEs and its associations with mental health indicators among transgender adults in South Korea.
We analyzed a nationwide cross-sectional survey of 566 Korean transgender adults conducted in October 2020. Lifetime exposure to GICEs was classified as follows: "never had GICE-related experiences," "received a referral, but did not undergo GICEs," and "undergone GICEs." We assessed mental health indicators, including past-week depressive symptoms; medical diagnosis or treatment of depression and panic disorder; and past 12-month suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and self-harm.
Of the total participants, 12.2% had "received a referral, but did not undergo GICEs," and 11.5% had "undergone GICEs." Compared with those who had "never had GICE-related experiences," participants who had "undergone GICEs" showed significantly higher prevalence of depression (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR]=1.34, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.11-1.61), panic disorder (aPR=2.52, 95% CI=1.75-3.64), and suicide attempts (aPR=1.73, 95% CI=1.10-2.72). However, we did not find significant associations between having "received a referral, but did not undergo GICEs" and mental health indicators.
Given our findings suggest that lifetime exposure to GICEs may harm transgender adults' mental health, legal restrictions should be imposed to ban GICEs in South Korea.
性别认同改变疗法（GICEs），有时也被称为“转化疗法”，被认为是伪科学且不道德的做法，现有科学文献并不支持此类疗法。然而，相当一部分跨性别者在其生活中面临过此类疗法。我们评估了韩国成年跨性别者一生中接触GICEs的情况及其与心理健康指标的关联。
我们分析了2020年10月对566名韩国成年跨性别者进行的一项全国性横断面调查。一生中接触GICEs的情况分类如下：“从未有过与GICEs相关的经历”、“收到过转介，但未接受GICEs”以及“接受过GICEs”。我们评估了心理健康指标，包括过去一周的抑郁症状；抑郁症和惊恐障碍的医学诊断或治疗；以及过去12个月的自杀意念、自杀未遂和自我伤害行为。
在所有参与者中，12.2%的人“收到过转介，但未接受GICEs”，11.5%的人“接受过GICEs”。与“从未有过与GICEs相关的经历”的参与者相比，“接受过GICEs”的参与者抑郁患病率显著更高（调整患病率比[aPR]=1.34，95%置信区间[CI]=1.11 - 1.61）、惊恐障碍患病率更高（aPR=2.52，95% CI=1.75 - 3.64）以及自杀未遂发生率更高（aPR=1.73，95% CI=1.10 - 2.72）。然而，我们未发现“收到过转介，但未接受GICEs”与心理健康指标之间存在显著关联。
鉴于我们的研究结果表明一生中接触GICEs可能会损害成年跨性别者的心理健康，韩国应实施法律限制以禁止GICEs。
