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Psychiatric Morbidity Among Adolescents and Young Adults Who Contacted Specialised Gender Identity Services in Finland in 1996-2019: A Register Study

Abstract

Aim: To examine the prevalence of severe psychiatric morbidity among gender-referred adolescents, focusing on gender differences and outcomes related to medical gender reassignment.

Methods: Finnish nationwide cohort of all under-23-year-old gender-referred individuals between 1996 and 2019 (n = 2 083) and 16 643 matched controls. Cross-tabulations with X2 statistics and Cox regression were used to analyse the data.

Results: Gender-referred adolescents showed significantly higher psychiatric morbidity than controls both before (45.7% vs. 15.0%) and ≥ 2 years after referral (61.7% vs. 14.6%). Those referred after 2010 had greater psychiatric needs than earlier cohorts, both before (47.9% vs. 15.3%) and ≥ 2 years after (61.3% vs. 14.2%) referral. Among adolescents who underwent medical gender reassignment, psychiatric morbidity increased markedly during follow-up-rising from 9.8% to 60.7% in feminising gender reassignment and from 21.6% to 54.5% in masculinising gender reassignment. After adjusting for prior psychiatric treatment, all gender-referred adolescents had similarly elevated risks of psychiatric morbidity, with hazard ratios approximately three times higher than female controls and five times higher than male controls.

Conclusion: Severe psychiatric morbidity is common among gender-referred adolescents and appears to be more prevalent in those referred after the recent surge in referrals. Psychiatric needs do not subside after medical gender reassignment.

Did it just fly under Woke radar earlier in the year? I'm surprised by the lack of leftangelical opinion pieces either attacking or undermining the study. Either that or the reluctance of search engines to go there. Feminist Legal Clinic in Australia even featured it without comment, and there's no clear indication that the latter is a radical feminist outlet (which is TERF territory). The latter might be a rare apolitical nook since most mainstream feminism currents (especially those revolving around critical theory) ideologically adore pro-trans movements and would (again) either automatically reject or diligently dig deep enough to trash a study like this.

(April) Study finds no link between medical gender reassignment and improved mental health among young people
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-04-l...ental.html

Better to stay silent on inconvenient facts you can't refute. The problem with the Finland data is that people can't opt-out in their public healthcare system. So usual study problems of drop-off and follow-up didn't happen here.

Abstract
"Objective: To evaluate the effects of gender-affirming surgery (GAS) on quality of life and gender dysphoria (GD) among individuals in the United States.

Data Sources: A literature search was conducted using PubMed, Web of Science, APA PsycINFO, APA, CINAHL Combined, and LGBTQ+ Source from February 2017 to February 2023. Randomized controlled trials and case reports/case series that described GD, quality of life, and gender surgery in the context of the United States were included.

Study Selection: Five independent reviewers analyzed the studies; conducted screening of titles, abstracts, and full texts; resolved any disagreements through multiple rounds of review; and manually eliminated duplicate references. Reasons for exclusion were documented. The comprehensive search yielded 864 potentially relevant studies, of which 11 were included in the final analysis.

Data Extraction: For data analysis, the authors recorded information including mean age, gender assigned at birth, race, sample size, type of GAS, and measures/ questionnaires used to assess GD before and after surgery, concurrent therapies, history of mental health illnesses, and postoperative complications.

Results: The results showed that after the participants received combined procedures on the face, chest, or genitalia, there was a significant improvement in self-worth, social and psychological well-being, and sexual and physical appearance satisfaction, improving overall quality of life and GD.

Conclusions: Gender identity is a complex subject, and although the research is gaining momentum, much is yet to unfold. Despite the recent increase in access to gender assignment surgeries, there is a paucity of research to assess the quality of life and GD among these individuals after surgical interventions and among individuals who have accepted themselves."

Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2025;27(6):23r03677
Author affiliations are listed at the end of this article.

https://www.psychiatrist.com/pcc/gender-...lity-life/

The OP is a newer study, that followed the same people over a ten year period.

Quote:The OP is a newer study, that followed the same people over a ten year period.

"The comprehensive search yielded 864 potentially relevant studies, of which 11 were included in the final analysis."

Scientific literacy is amazing!