Gender-Affirming Treatments among Transgender People: Meta-Analytic Evidence that they Alleviate Depression
Standing
Undergraduate
Type of Proposal
Oral Research Presentation
Faculty
Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Kevin Gorey
Proposal
Introduction: Transgender is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of people whose gender identity does not align with their assigned sex. Research has confidently observed that transgender people are significantly more likely to experience depression than their cisgender counterparts. Many transgender people seek gender-affirming treatments, which may have the potential to substantially alleviate symptoms of depression. This meta-analysis critically reviews research on the protective effect of gender-affirming treatments on depression among transgender people.
Method: After a broad keyword search of published and grey research databases, eleven primary studies of 2,929 transgender people met the inclusion criteria of empirical, treated versus untreated comparative studies on valid measures of depression. Their statistical findings were converted to a scale-free practical significance index—Cohen’s U3 statistic.
Results: The overall pooled analysis showed a remarkable difference in depression (U3= 69.8%), meaning about 70% of the transgender people who received gender-affirming treatment had fewer symptoms of depression than did the typical transgender person who did not have such care. The observed study effects were significantly heterogeneous, however, ranging from no effect to a U3 of 87%; x2(10) = 42.44, p< 0.05, which seemed well explained by two significant moderators: study design and gender.
Conclusion: This synthetic study suggests that gender-affirming treatments have the potential to help transgender people with their mental health. However, better controlled, longitudinal research such as prospective cohort investigations is needed to affirm (or refute) the potentially, large protective effect of gender-affirming care of transgender people.
Availability
March 29th- April 1st 12-3pm
Special Considerations
Cassandra Armstrong is the only presenter
Gender-Affirming Treatments among Transgender People: Meta-Analytic Evidence that they Alleviate Depression
Introduction: Transgender is an umbrella term that encompasses a wide range of people whose gender identity does not align with their assigned sex. Research has confidently observed that transgender people are significantly more likely to experience depression than their cisgender counterparts. Many transgender people seek gender-affirming treatments, which may have the potential to substantially alleviate symptoms of depression. This meta-analysis critically reviews research on the protective effect of gender-affirming treatments on depression among transgender people.
Method: After a broad keyword search of published and grey research databases, eleven primary studies of 2,929 transgender people met the inclusion criteria of empirical, treated versus untreated comparative studies on valid measures of depression. Their statistical findings were converted to a scale-free practical significance index—Cohen’s U3 statistic.
Results: The overall pooled analysis showed a remarkable difference in depression (U3= 69.8%), meaning about 70% of the transgender people who received gender-affirming treatment had fewer symptoms of depression than did the typical transgender person who did not have such care. The observed study effects were significantly heterogeneous, however, ranging from no effect to a U3 of 87%; x2(10) = 42.44, p< 0.05, which seemed well explained by two significant moderators: study design and gender.
Conclusion: This synthetic study suggests that gender-affirming treatments have the potential to help transgender people with their mental health. However, better controlled, longitudinal research such as prospective cohort investigations is needed to affirm (or refute) the potentially, large protective effect of gender-affirming care of transgender people.