A third of transgender children on puberty blockers suffered mental health problems, a reanalysis of a major study has suggested.
In 2011, a team from University College London Hospitals (UCLH) and the Tavistock’s Gender Identity Development Service – the only NHS specialist gender clinic for children in the UK – embarked on what became known as the Early Intervention Study.
It analysed 44 children between the ages of 12 and 15 undergoing treatment with puberty blockers and concluded “no changes in psychological function” of the children.
However, a new analysis of the original study’s data reveal that 34 per cent of young people “reliably deteriorated” in terms of their mental health, while 29 per cent “reliably improved” 12 months after taking puberty blockers. A further 37 per cent showed no change.
Source: A third of transgender children on puberty blockers suffered mental health problems, study reveals