Acceso usuarios
Pablo Expósito Campos
, José Ignacio Pérez Fernández, Karmele Salaberría Irízar
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people show different trajectories after gender transition. While some continue to transition, others detransition (DT), that is, stop or reverse the process. Both populations experience poor mental health, but no study has compared whether they have different psychological profiles and needs. This exploratory study compared TGD and DT participants in terms of psychopathological symptoms, personality variables, and the possible presence of eating disorders (ED) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A total of 29 TGD participants (M age = 28.28, 72.4% female at birth) and 21 DT participants (M age = 29.19, 66.7% female at birth) completed the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI), the Sick-Control-One stone-Fat-Food (SCOFF), and the 10-item Autism Quotient (AQ-10). Of these, 28% screened positive for ED and 28% for ASD, and the percentage for ASD was higher in the DT group. TGD participants had elevated scores on borderline features and mania, whereas DT participants had elevated scores on anxiety-related disorders. The TGD group showed significantly higher scores on antisocial features, alcohol problems, and dominance, and significantly higher rates of self-harm; the DT group had significantly higher scores on phobias and significantly higher rates of social detachment. Both groups exhibited elevated scores on suicidal ideation, stress, and nonsupport. The results suggest that TGD and DT participants may have different psychological profiles, with TGD participants exhibiting more externalizing symptoms and DT participants reporting more neurodiversity and internalizing symptoms. The findings highlight common and distinct vulnerabilities and needs that should be considered in clinical practice.
