Transgender identity and externalizing symptoms and problem behaviours in adolescence: Is there a connection?

Abstract

Gender dysphoria and transgender identity in adolescence have been associated with over-representation of internalizing symptoms and disorders, but research on their associations with externalizing symptoms and disorders is scarce and the findings inconsistent. We set out to study the possible associations between transgender identification and externalizing symptoms and behaviours among ninth graders who participated in the Adolescent Mental Health Cohort and Replication Study. In total 1,386 respondents aged mean (SD) 15.59 (0.41) years participated. Of the respondents, 96.9% reported cisgender identity and 3.1% identified as transgender. Nine different externalizing symptoms were compared between cisgender and transgender identifying adolescents. After controlling for confounding due to age, sex, honesty of responding and depression, no differences in externalizing symptoms were seen between the gender identity groups. Transgender identification in adolescence is not associated with elevated or diminished externalizing symptoms.

Keywords

• transgender
• adolescence
• externalizing disorders
• population survey