Transgender youth often face misunderstandings in healthcare, particularly within Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). A common issue is the misdiagnosis of gender dysphoria as low self-esteem, which delays appropriate care and worsens mental health outcomes.
What is Gender Dysphoria?
Gender dysphoria is the distress caused by a mismatch between a person's experienced gender and their assigned sex at birth. It is a recognised clinical condition requiring accurate assessment and support.
Why Misdiagnosis Happens
Lack of Training: Many clinicians lack adequate education on gender identity.
Biases: Cultural assumptions about gender can lead to oversimplified diagnoses.
Poor Assessment: Standard evaluations often fail to explore gender identity thoroughly.
Consequences of Misdiagnosis
Delayed access to gender-affirming care (e.g., therapy, hormones).
Worsening mental health, including depression and suicidality.
Loss of trust in healthcare providers.
Improving Care
Provide mandatory training on gender identity for mental health professionals.
Update assessment protocols to include gender identity considerations.
Use patient-centred approaches that prioritise self-reported experiences.
Gender dysphoria needs to be recognised accurately for timely, effective support. By improving training and assessments, services like CAMHS can foster better mental health outcomes and trust among transgender youth.