Similar numbers of boys and girls appear to be affected by Gender Identity Disorder (GID), according to a study.
The findings suggest that children and young people often have gender symptoms for years before consulting a paediatrician or psychiatrist
GID is a rare condition where there is strong and persistent cross-gender identification and more of those who present early (under 12 years old) signs of the disorder are boys, the research found.
Children and adolescents with GID experience significant distress, particularly with the physical changes of puberty. There may be associated mental health problems and social difficulties.
Consultant paediatricians and child and adolescent psychiatrists across the UK and Republic of Ireland have been reporting any new cases of GID seen among four- to 15-year-olds during a 19-month surveillance period.
Reporting is still under way but when surveillance ends, the study will provide the first estimates of how common childhood GID is in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
This, together with information about the features of childhood GID and how it progresses over time, will help inform service provision for this vulnerable group of children and young people and clinical management.
Current questions around management of childhood GID relate to the timing of hormonal treatment to suppress puberty, and whether this should occur later in adolescence or in early puberty.
Previous studies have reported childhood GID to be more common in boys than girls. A key preliminary finding from this study is that similar numbers appear to be affected by GID, although more of those who present early signs are boys.
The findings suggest that children and young people often have gender symptoms for years before consulting a paediatrician or psychiatrist.
Sophie Khadr of University College London Institute of Child Health, lead researcher on the study, said: “The information we have about childhood gender identity disorder is largely based on children and young people who have attended specialist clinics. We don’t know how common it is in the general population and whether characteristics that have been described apply to most or all young people with GID, or just those who have been assessed in a specialist setting.
“Our findings so far challenge the notion that gender identity disorder occurs more frequently amongboys than girls. Girls comprise exactly half of the 138 cases confirmed to date.
“Our research so far corroborates the suggestion that GID in children and young people is complex and may be associated with mental health problems like depression, anxiety and Aspergers or autism, particularly among adolescents. However, it is important to point out that many young people with GID have no significant difficulties in these areas.
“Perhaps most striking is the lag in time from when symptoms are first disclosed or noticed by parents and when the child is taken to a healthcare professional or a provisional diagnosis is first made.
“This could be for a whole host of reasons – such as uncertainty about symptoms, inability to detect the signs or embarrassment over raising the issue with family or health professionals.
“The earlier a child is seen, the more quickly we can make sure they get the clinical and emotional support they and their families need.”
The results of the study are being presented during the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s Annual Conference being held in Glasgow.