Long term effect of gender affirming hormone treatment on depression and anxiety symptoms in transgender people: A prospective cohort study

BackgroundCross?sectional studies show that transgender people are more likely than cisgender people to experience depression and anxiety before Gender Affirming Hormone Treatment (GAHT). However, the effect of GAHT on mental health in transgender people, and the role of other factors that may have a predictive effect, is poorly explored.ObjectivesUsing a longitudinal methodology, this study investigated the effect of 18 months GAHT on depression and anxiety symptomatology and the predictors on mental health outcomes in a large population of transgender people.Materials and MethodsParticipants (n=178) completed a socio?demographic questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the Autism Spectrum Quotient Short Version (AQ?short) at pre?assessment (T0) and at 18 months after initiation of GAHT (T1).ResultsFrom T0 to T1, symptomatology was significantly decreased for depression (P[less than]0.001) and non?significantly reduced for anxiety (P=0.37). Scores on the MSPSS predicted reduction in depression, while scores on the AQ?short predicted reduction in anxiety.DiscussionGAHT reduces symptoms of depression which are predicted by having higher levels of social support. Although anxiety symptoms also reduce the changes are not significant and high levels of anxiety still remain post GAHT.ConclusionsThese results highlight the important mental health benefits of GAHT. Support services (professional, third sector or peer?support) aiming at increasing social support for transgender individuals should be made available

Video gaming and gender dysphoria: some case study evidence

Video gaming has become an established area of psychological research over the last two decades. Over the past few years there has been increasing research into online gender swapping, showing that for many groups or individuals it can have positive psychological benefits (e.g., as a way to explore gender roles and boundaries in a safe environment). To date, no research has ever examined online gender swapping among individuals with gender dysphoria – people with acknowledged gender-identity issues. Using four case studies, this exploratory study examined the role of gaming in the life of individuals seeking treatment for gender dysphoria. The main objectives were to use exemplar case studies to highlight that gaming – in some circumstances – appears to be a functional way of dealing with gender identity issues, and that gender swapping in gaming may help such individuals to come to terms with their gender dysphoria. Recommendations for further research are suggested along with the limitations of the data collected. Durant les últimes dues dècades, els videojocs han anat ocupant un camp establert de la investigació psicològica. En els últims anys hi ha hagut un augment de la investigació sobre el canvi de gènere online, mostrant que per a molts grups o individus això pot tenir beneficis psicològics (per exemple, com una manera d’explorar les funcions i els límits de gènere en un entorn segur). Fins a la data, cap investigació ha examinat el canvi de gènere online en els individus amb disfòria de gènere - persones amb problemes d’identitat de gènere. Utilitzant quatre estudis de cas, aquest estudi exploratori va examinar el paper del joc en la vida dels individus que busquen tractament per disfòria de gènere. Els objectius principals eren d’usar estudis de casos exemplar per mostrar que jugar jocs online pot ser - en algunes circumstàncies - una manera funcional de tractar amb problemes d’identitat de gènere, i que el canvi de gènere en els jocs poden ajudar aquests ndividus a millorar la disfòria de gènere. Es discuteixen les limitacions de les dades recollides i es suggereixen recomanacions per a futures investigacions

Authors’ Reply to Richardson and Chen: Comment on “Sport and transgender people: a systematic review of the literature relating to sport participation and competitive sport policies”

Letter to the editor. This letter refers to the article available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0621-y

Barriers and facilitators of physical activity and sport participation among young transgender adults who are medically transitioning

Background: Transgender people (those who feel incongruence between the gender they were assigned at birth and their gender identity) engage in lower levels of physical activity compared to cisgender people (non-transgender). Several factors have been shown to affect physical activity engagement in the cisgender population however; the physical activity experiences of young transgender adults have not been explored. It was therefore the aim of the current study to understand what factors are associated with physical activity and sport engagement in young transgender adults who are medically transitioning. Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 young transgender adults (18-36 years) who had initiated their medical transition at a transgender health service in the United Kingdom. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Two main themes were identified: (1) barriers and (2) facilitators to physical activity and sport. Overall, the young transgender adults were insufficiently active due to inadequate changing facilities, body dissatisfaction, fears surrounding ‘passing’ and not being accepted by others. At the same time, participants were motivated to engage in physical activity to increase their body satisfaction and gender congruence. However, participants felt there were a lack of safe and comfortable spaces to engage in physical activity and sport. Conclusion: Young transgender adults who are medically transitioning experience several barriers to physical activity and sport, despite being motivated to be physically active. Initiatives to facilitate young transgender adults to be able to put their motivations into practice (i.e. to be more physically active) are needed

Sport and transgender people: a systematic review of the literature relating to sport participation and competitive sport policies

Background Whether transgender people should be able to compete in sport in accordance with their gender identity is a widely contested question within the literature and among sport organisations, fellow competitors and spectators. Owing to concerns surrounding transgender people (especially transgender female individuals) having an athletic advantage, several sport organisations place restrictions on transgender competitors (e.g. must have undergone gender-confirming surgery). In addition, some transgender people who engage in sport, both competitively and for leisure, report discrimination and victimisation. Objective To the authors’ knowledge, there has been no systematic review of the literature pertaining to sport participation or competitive sport policies in transgender people. Therefore, this review aimed to address this gap in the literature. Method Eight research articles and 31 sport policies were reviewed. Results In relation to sport-related physical activity, this review found the lack of inclusive and comfortable environments to be the primary barrier to participation for transgender people. This review also found transgender people had a mostly negative experience in competitive sports because of the restrictions the sport’s policy placed on them. The majority of transgender competitive sport policies that were reviewed were not evidence based. Conclusion Currently, there is no direct or consistent research suggesting transgender female individuals (or male individuals) have an athletic advantage at any stage of their transition (e.g. cross-sex hormones, gender-confirming surgery) and, therefore, competitive sport policies that place restrictions on transgender people need to be considered and potentially revised

Ageism and sexuality

Sexuality remains important throughout a person’s life, but sexual behavior does not receive the same levels of acceptance at all ages. Older people are challenged by ageist attitudes and perceptions that hinder their sexual expression. They are stereotyped as non-sexual beings who should not, cannot, and do not want to have sexual relationships. Expressing sexuality or engaging in sexual activity in later life is considered by many in society as immoral or perverted. False expectations for older people also stem from ideals of beauty, centralization of the biomedical perspective on sexuality of older adults, and the association of sex with reproduction. Unfortunately, older people internalize many ageist attitudes towards sexuality in later life and become less interested in sex and less sexually active. The following chapter explores attitudes towards sexuality in later life among the media, young people, older people themselves, and care providers. In order to enable older people to express their sexuality and sexual identity freely and fully, awareness of ageist perceptions must be raised and defeated

Mining a Sea of Data: Deducing the Environmental Controls of Ocean Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll biomass in the surface ocean is regulated by a complex interaction of physiological, oceanographic, and ecological factors and in turn regulates the rates of primary production and export of organic carbon to the deep ocean. Mechanistic models of phytoplankton responses to climate change require the parameterization of many processes of which we have limited knowledge. We develop a statistical approach to estimate the response of remote-sensed ocean chlorophyll to a variety of physical and chemical variables. Irradiance over the mixed layer depth, surface nitrate, sea-surface temperature, and latitude and longitude together can predict 83% of the variation in log chlorophyll in the North Atlantic. Light and nitrate regulate biomass through an empirically determined minimum function explaining nearly 50% of the variation in log chlorophyll by themselves and confirming that either light or macronutrients are often limiting and that much of the variation in chlorophyll concentration is determined by bottom-up mechanisms. Assuming the dynamics of the future ocean are governed by the same processes at work today, we should be able to apply these response functions to future climate change scenarios, with changes in temperature, nutrient distributions, irradiance, and ocean physics

Understanding the experience of parents of pre-pubescent children with gender identity issues

Whilst in recent times there has been an increasing interest in the popular media in families with gender variant children, there is still a paucity of academic research into the experience of parenting a pre-pubescent child with gender identity issues. Gender dysphoria in young children engenders emotive reactions in adults meaning that social workers need to be aware of the various discourses surrounding gender identity in order to work sensitively with families affected. This research explores highly sensitive and intimate aspects of family life, requiring parents to talk and think about difficult issues and explores how it might feel for families to parent a child with gender identity issues. The psychosocial research method of Free Association Narrative Interviews was used in order to gather the data which was then coded and analysed drawing on a constructivist version of grounded theory. Five key themes relating to the process of mourning emerged from the data: loss, uncertainty, ambivalence, being unable to think and acceptance. Recommendations for both social work and clinical practice are also offere

First M87 Event Horizon Telescope results: VIII. Magnetic field structure near the Event Horizon

Instrumentatio