Thanks to this and several other studies, a WHO Working Group has recommended that transgender identity is removed from its list of mental disorders.
Advertisement
More than three-quarters of participants (191, 76%) reported experiencing social rejection related to gender incongruence, most commonly by family members, followed by schoolmates/co-workers and friends.
Additionally, the results show that mental disorder characteristics among transgender individuals are largely fueled by such stigma, rather than transgender identity itself. “The definition of transgender identity as a mental disorder has been misused to justify denial of health care and contributed to the perception that transgender people must be treated by psychiatric specialists, creating barriers to health care services”.
Now, a new study published Tuesday in the journal The Lancet Psychiatry adds nuance to the topic, finding that the social rejection and violence that many transgender people experience appears to be the primary source of their mental distress, as opposed to the distress being exclusively the result of being transgender.
People who identify as transgender should not be considered to have a mental health disorder, according to a new study from Mexico.
The study is the first in a series aimed at determining whether this categorization is suitable, and the trials will be repeated in Brazil, France, India, Lebanon and South Africa. The New York Times also reported that the definition of transgender identity as a metal disorder has even been used by governments when denying an individual the right to both “self-determination”, as well as the authority to make decisions in matters such as child custody, any type of changes made to legal documents and even reproduction. Psychological and physical violence were the most commonly reported, and some experienced sexual violence. The team found that levels of distress were more strongly influenced by social rejection and violence than by being transgender. Family, social, or work or academic dysfunction during adolescence related to their gender identity was reported by almost all participants (226, 90%).
According to mental health expert, Dr Vikram Patel the World Health Organisation is now revising the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 and ICD-11 is expected to be approved in May 2018. “I think there is a bit of a problem with the idea of putting it in a chapter on sexual health because it has nothing to do with sex”, said Dr Griet De Cuypere, a psychiatrist at the Center of Sexology and Gender at University Hospital in Ghent, Belgium, and a board member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
“This study highlights the need for policies and programs to reduce stigmatization and victimization of this population”, Robles argues. The classification of transgender identity as a mental disorder is increasingly controversial.
Advertisement
However, they state that while the results offer evidence to suggest transgender identity should not be classified as a mental disorder, they do not offer an alternative classification for consideration in the next ICD manual.
