The Olsen-Kennedy study is released - Mental and Emotional Health of Youth after 24 months of Gender-Affirming Medical Care Initiated with Pubertal Suppression

That's as close as they get to a control group. The general population.

Discussion:

'Prior findings suggest that youth with gender dysphoria who have access to puberty blockers either demonstrate improved mental health or experience neutral effects, potentially preventing worsening mental health related in part to gender dysphoria.[9–11, 23] The results presented here are consistent with the prior literature and demonstrate that the mental health of youth as reported by both themselves and their parents/guardians is relatively stable from baseline over 24 months after starting medical intervention with GnRHa.

Depression commonly accompanies gender dysphoria and has been routinely reported as higher among youth with gender dysphoria than the population of youth at large.[24, 25] In the Youth Risk Behavioral Health Survey (YRBS) from 2021, 23.5% of middle school students reported that their mental health was not good “most of the time” or “always.” [26]

While it is not certain how “most of the time” or “always” translates to BDI-Y moderate or severe ranges, it is reasonable to assume these offer acceptable proxies, suggesting that at both baseline (18%) and at 24 months (22%), the proportion of our sample with poor mental health is no greater than that described in the general population.

National studies also report that among middle school youth, suicidal ideation, plans and attempts have continued to increase over time. In 2019, 22.3% of middle school youth reported ever thinking about suicide, 14.7% reported ever making a suicide plan, and 9.3% reported ever attempting suicide in their lifetime.[27] Suicidality is a major concern for all youth, but particularly among sexual and gender minoritized youth including those who identify as TNB.[28] Among our participants at baseline lifetime suicidal ideation, plan and attempts were comparable to those of the general population, and after 24-months following initiation of medical intervention with GnRHa, were lower than the national average.

Among the constructs assessed within CBCL, most showed no significant change over time. It is important to note that the means reported across the entire sample were not in a clinically concerning range at any time point. Rule-breaking behavior demonstrated a statistically significant decline (improvement) over time. Because the mean reported for rule-breaking behavior was not clinically concerning at any time point, the clinical significance of this change is unclear.'

"Participants initiating medical interventions for gender dysphoria with GnRHas have self- and parent-reported psychological and emotional health comparable with the population of adolescents at large, which remains relatively stable over 24 months."

Wait, what? Are they actually saying that kids undertaking treatment for GD are not in more psychological distress than other kids? I thought that was the entire reason why treatment was necessary in the first place??

"Given that the mental health of youth with gender dysphoria who are older is often poor, it is likely that puberty blockers prevent the deterioration of mental health."

Wow, that's quite the amazing leap they make here!

Given that the mental health of youth with gender dysphoria who are older is often poor, it is likely that puberty blockers prevent the deterioration of mental health.

Well, that’s one way of framing those results. Now let’s have a conversation about risk-benefit and explore whether the same non-outcome could be achieved or bettered by talking therapies which do not leave a child developmentally stalled and sterile.