Investigators: Ashleigh Lin, Cati Thomas, Penelope Strauss, Simone Mahfouda, Xander Bickendorf
Trans or gender diverse young people identify as a gender not matching that assigned at birth. This can cause severe gender dysphoria. Some gender diverse adolescents will seek hormone intervention to suppress puberty, or affirm their gender. We know that gender diverse young people have very high rates of mental illness. Providing early gender-affirming treatment appears to relieve mental distress and improve psychological outcome.
The aim of this study to establish a cohort of young people (aged 11 to 18 years) attending the Gender Diversity Service at Perth Children's Hospital for gender-affirming treatment, and follow them up periodically to examine physical and mental health outcomes.
In collaboration with the Gender Diversity Service at Perth Children's Hospital, we will recruit trans and gender diverse children and adolescents into a longitudinal study to monitor their mental and physical health over their treatment and beyond. This will be known as the GENTLE (GENder identiTy Longitudinal Experience) cohort.
For more information, please contact the team at GENTLE@telethonkids.org.au.