Heterogeneity in Gender Dysphoria in a Brazilian Sample Awaiting Gender-affirming Surgery: a Data-driven Analysis

Overview

Journal BMC Psychiatry

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2022 Feb 2

PMID 35105327

Authors

Dhiordan Cardoso Silva

Francisco Diego Rabelo-da-Ponte

Leonardo Romeira Salati

Maria Ines Rodrigues Lobato

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Population heterogeneity and the lack of clinical and sociodemographic information in transgender individuals with gender dysphoria (GD) remains a challenge for specialized services in mental health and surgical procedures. It aimed to identify and describe profiles in a sample waiting for gender-affirming surgery.

Methods: A sample of 100 outpatients with GD was assessed through a structured interview, Emotion Regulation Difficulty Scale (DERS), Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and Life Satisfaction scale (SWLS). Cluster analysis was used to identify different profile categories.

Results: Two subgroups with different profiles were identified: with less clinical severity (LCS) and with high clinical severity (HCS) on emotional dysregulation, acute symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress and association with mental rumination. The HCS cluster had greater vulnerability in terms of psychiatric history, use of psychotropic drugs, HIV positive, child abuse and suicidal behavior.

Conclusion: Different profiles were found regarding the vulnerability to mental health in a sample of transgender people with GD who seek a public hospital service for the same clinical-surgical objective. Longitudinal studies are essential to monitor the impact of these contrasts and to target personalized therapeutic approaches in the prevention of psychiatric disorders.

Citing Articles

Medical care for transgender individuals at a hospital in southern Brazil: why do they drop out from our service?.

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A scoping review of the clinical application of machine learning in data-driven population segmentation analysis.

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