There’s longstanding controversy surrounding “gender dysphoria” diagnoses.
It was a stigmatizing label that kept many people from seeking treatment and support.
There are two sets of criteria, one for adults and adolescents and the other for children.
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Gender, by contrast, refers to social roles or gender performance expectations that vary across cultures.
Gender Nonconformity
Gender dysphoria should not be confused withgender nonconformity(GNC).
Rather, it describes people who exist outside of the constraints society places ongender categoriesand performance.
Whilesomenon-binary or genderqueer people are transgender, not all members of this community are trans.
It is best to not assume.
Due to definition confusion and the stigmatization of transgender people, researchers believe the numbers are actually far greater.
Diagnosis in Adults
Gender dysphoria can be confirmed if certain criteria outlined by the APA are met.
Diagnosis in Children
Diagnosing gender dysphoria in children is far more difficult.
With adults, for example, feelings of incongruity may be carried for a lifetime.
With children, the intense emotional responses may, in fact, change over time.
However, children are typically under intense pressure to maintain societal norms and are tacitly discouraged from transitioning.
Many children surrender to pressure and claim to be cisgender even if dysphoria persists.
For this reason, psychologists assess their overall emotional state to better characterize the nature of their responses.
It’s often better to do this away from parents and other influences, however well-intentioned.
Even as adults, people can have difficulty articulating their true feelings or identifying the sources of those feelings.
you could start your search with the APA’sonline psychologist locator.
Feelings of gender dysphoria are also more likely to be transient in kids than in adults.
Given these differences, there are slightly different DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for children than adults.
Davy Z, Toze M.What is gender dysphoria?
A critical systematic narrative review.Transgend Health.
2017;107(2):e1-e8.
Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Publishing; pp.
