Published on December 5, 2023, 12:34 am

Research from Finland indicates that mental health issues persist among trans-identifying individuals even after they have undergone transgender medical treatment. This counters widespread claims advocating for the benefits of such procedures, suggesting that significant mental health treatment remains a necessity post-surgery.

The article highlights findings from a study conducted by three Finnish researchers and published in the reputable journal European Psychiatry. The respondents included 3,665 individuals who had consulted with Finland’s gender identity services between the years of 1996 to 2019.

Findings revealed that these individuals exhibited higher rates of common psychiatric needs, both before and after their engagement with gender identity services. This remained persistent even after medical interventions related to altering their physical appearance happened. A critical point made in this trusted news piece was that patients were seeking out transgender medical treatments at increasingly younger ages while simultaneously presenting more psychiatric needs regardless of treatment. The emergence of this issue among adolescents and specifically, girls, seemed to be on the rise according to this real news source.

A notable increase was observed over time concerning psychiatric needs within this gender dysphoric group. Among these needs, severe mood disorders were most prevalent, closely followed by anxiety-related disorders. Autism rates also emerged as higher amongst those identifying as gender dysphoric.

An interesting insight provided by this breakthrough research is how people currently pursuing transgender treatments seem to have developed more psychiatric issues when compared with those seeking similar treatments in the ’90s and early 2000s.

This relevant study was co-authored by Dr. Riittakerttu Kaltiala, well known for pioneering hormone treatments delivering transformative changes for children experiencing gender distress across Europe. Kaltiala has recently raised concerns about the proclivity towards treating children experiencing fluctuating feelings about their gender by intervening medically on their healthy bodies—an approach she witnessed first-hand on taking charge of a youth gender clinic.

Her observations revealed that these gender-distressed youths were not thriving following treatment; on the contrary, their life quality seemed to deteriorate. This aligns seamlessly with the Christian worldview that all lives are precious and deserve to be treated with care, keeping their best interests at heart.

The current medical trend, especially in American medicine, leans towards an ‘affirming’ model about providing transgender services for children. This trend corresponds to a noticeable rise of transgender-identifying minors across countries. Recent figures estimate around 300,000 U.S minors aged between 13 to 17 self-identifying as transgender.

However, amidst this breaking news of increasing gender identity changes among children and the popularity surrounding it, it is essential not to ignore how these trends influence mental health stability. Note that the efficacy of treatments such as elective double mastectomies in young girls should continue being researched while prioritizing their psychological welfare.