Mental Health and Health Care for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Adolescents: A Systematic Review

With increased frequency there are more transgender youths who request and require health care for issues regarding gender identity. The aim of this paper is to conduct a systematic review on the mental health of transgender adolescents and health care to which they have access regarding their discovery of transgender issues. This systematic review was undertaken by analysing international literature following PRISMA guidelines for systematic scientific reviews. The searches were conducted in the following databases: MEDLINE, SciELO, Psicodoc, PsycINFO and PubMed. A total of 24 articles complied with the inclusion criteria. The results indicate that transgender and non-conforming gender adolescents are an especially vulnerable group because they display high rates of mental health problems when compared to their cisgender peers. Hormone therapy for gender affirmation points to possible psychological benefits for this population group. In conclusion, transgender and non-conforming gender adolescents may exhibit mental health problems associated with the discrimination, rejection/repudiation, or bullying/harassment experienced in their corresponding social, health, and educational environments. This demands the need for a social change that promotes the acceptance and normalization of non-normative identities and genders.