G - Gender Dysphoria

Question 1

What is Gender Dysphoria?

Answer 1

Individuals who experience a conflict between their biological sex and gender identity

Question 2

What are the diagnostic criteria/symptoms of Gender Dysphoria?

Answer 2

Ongoing identification with the opposite sex, discomfort with own sex, affecting their ability to function, no biological condition (AIS/CAH)

Question 3

What are the 2 psychological/social explanations?

Answer 3

1. Childhood trauma - gender dysphoria is linked with childhood trauma or maladaptive upbringing
2. Mother-son relationships

Question 4

What are the 3 biological explanations?

Answer 4

1. Transsexual gene - longer version of the androgen receptor gene, may have an effect on gender development in womb
2. Hormonal exposure - pre-natal hormone levels cause the mismatch in a similar way to AIS or CAH
3. Brain sex theory - transsexual brains do not match their genetic sex

Question 5

What does the biosocial approach best explain?

Answer 5

Why some boys with close mother-son relationships do develop gender dysphoria while others don’t

Question 6

What did Coates find that supports childhood trauma?

Answer 6

Boy developed GID as a defense mechanism to his mothers depression (trauma occurred at 3yo) - trauma led to cross-gender fantasy to resolve anxiety

Question 7

What did Cole find that goes against Childhood trauma?

Answer 7

434 pps, psychological trauma experienced was no greater than that experienced by the normal populatio

Question 8

What did Zucker find that goes against mother-son relationships?

Answer 8

115 boy pps with concerns about gender identity, of the boys diagnosed with GID, 64% were also diagnosed with separation anxiety - mother-son relationships may not be cause as they did not have close relationships

Question 9

What did Zhou et al find to support brain sex theory?

Answer 9

Number of neurons in the thalamus of MtoF transsexuals was similar to that of females, likewise with FtoM being similar to males

Question 10

What did Chung et al find against brain sex theory?

Answer 10

Differences do not develop until adulthood whereas most transsexuals report that their feelings of gender dysphoria began in early childhood

Question 11

How can this explanation be practically applied?

Answer 11

treatment starts at puberty as many children are not certain until then (gender is fluid) – 25% of those who appear to have symptoms of gender dysphoria go on to being transsexual, treatment = hormone blockers to stop production of testosterone/oestrogen, blood samples taken to see when puberty started, psychiatric assessments made prior to treatment, has helped to reduce number of suicide attempts, 6 years later = hormone changeover treatment (start to give oestrogen/testosterone)