Gender dysphoria was previously referred to as gender identity disorder.
(People whose gender identity is aligned with their recorded sex are referred to ascisgender.)
Other-gendered behaviors don’t necessarily mean a child has a sex-atypical gender identity or gender dysphoria.
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Gender-atypical behavior is expected as part of normal childhood development.
At this time, children start labeling the gender of others as well as their own.
However, this is the exception rather than the rule.
Other children may experience gender-atypical behavior but not self-label.
Still others may not recognize their gender dysphoriauntil pubertyor even adulthood.
It is important to note that not all individuals who identify as transgender or gender non-binary experience gender dysphoria.
Gender dysphoria is defined by the discomfort it causes.
This is more likely to occur in a supporting and accepting environment.
According to the DSM-5, gender dysphoria is relatively rare.
However, there is some evidence that the prevalence is markedly higher than previously reported.
However, the notion that gender dysphoria could be a diagnosable condition did not arise until much later.
The modern history of the diagnosis of gender dysphoria is a reflection of the modern history of theDSM.
The first edition of theDSMwas published in 1952.
It was intended to help clinicians identify people with the symptoms of the roughly 100 diagnoses included.
The second edition, published in 1968, had almost twice the number of diagnoses.
TheDSM-IV, published in 1995, had about 400 diagnoses.
At that time, two disorders were defined.
The first, which described gender dysphoria in adolescents and adults, was called transsexualism.
The second, which described the condition in children, was labeled gender identity disorder of childhood.
However, it was not only the names of the condition that would change over time.
There were also fundamental differences in how the disorder was understood.
That can be seen in the way that gender diagnoses were categorized in the different editions of theDSM.
Initially, a cross-gender identity was seen as indicating that the person was delusional or neurotic.
Later, it was seen as a form of deviant sexuality.
Understanding the experience of gender dysphoria has continued to evolve over time.
As of Spring 2018, theICD-11contains a new diagnosis.
This represents an important step forward in destigmatizing gender variance and transgender identities.
They’re seeking to address the fact that their bodies do not match who they are inside.
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Gender incongruence/gender dysphoria and its classification history.
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Blashfield RK, Keeley JW, Flanagan EH, Miles SR.
The cycle of classification: DSM-I through DSM-5.
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