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Mental Health Issues in Transgender Children and Children with Gender Dysphoria

By K. Hermanutz, published in 2021 in the Canadian Journal of Family and Youth.

Imagine feeling different than how you look, like you don’t belong in the body that you were born in to. Visualize feeling like you should be a different gender, but society is pressuring you to be happy with the gender you are born in to. Try to put yourself in the shoes of a child who feels uncomfortable because society forces them to play into strict gender roles the day they are born. Now, finally, think about how hard this must be for a child to go through when their parents, their peers, their surroundings, and society does not accept them for who they are. Being bullied for wanting to look on the outside, the way they feel on the inside, is something that can happen to transgender children or children with gender dysphoria. According to Miller, “Young people who are transgender feel powerfully that they wish to be – or are – the other gender. They not only want to dress and act and be accepted as the other gender, but may feel extremely uncomfortable in their bodies, and want to change them, through hormone therapy or surgery, to align with their gender identity”. Children who feel they need to be the other gender and want to transition, need proper care and concern. Furthermore, not having the proper education, awareness, or perspective on information related to transgender children or children with gender dysphoria can lead to negative impacts such as mental health issues, or even bullying and stigma from peers, parents, and society in general. It would be a gross understatement to think that it would not have a significant impact on a child’s mental health if they are not being supported. Regardless of age, those who feel a disconnect between their experienced gender and their assigned gender experience a source of profound suffering and distress, the term for this acute distress is gender dysphoria. In this paper, I will be discussing mental health issues in transgender children and children who have gender dysphoria.

Mental Health Issues in Transgender Children and Children with Gender Dysphoria

By K. Hermanutz, published in 2021 in the Canadian Journal of Family and Youth.

Imagine feeling different than how you look, like you don’t belong in the body that you were born in to. Visualize feeling like you should be a different gender, but society is pressuring you to be happy with the gender you are born in to. Try to put yourself in the shoes of a child who feels uncomfortable because society forces them to play into strict gender roles the day they are born. Now, finally, think about how hard this must be for a child to go through when their parents, their peers, their surroundings, and society does not accept them for who they are. Being bullied for wanting to look on the outside, the way they feel on the inside, is something that can happen to transgender children or children with gender dysphoria. According to Miller, “Young people who are transgender feel powerfully that they wish to be – or are – the other gender. They not only want to dress and act and be accepted as the other gender, but may feel extremely uncomfortable in their bodies, and want to change them, through hormone therapy or surgery, to align with their gender identity”. Children who feel they need to be the other gender and want to transition, need proper care and concern. Furthermore, not having the proper education, awareness, or perspective on information related to transgender children or children with gender dysphoria can lead to negative impacts such as mental health issues, or even bullying and stigma from peers, parents, and society in general. It would be a gross understatement to think that it would not have a significant impact on a child’s mental health if they are not being supported. Regardless of age, those who feel a disconnect between their experienced gender and their assigned gender experience a source of profound suffering and distress, the term for this acute distress is gender dysphoria. In this paper, I will be discussing mental health issues in transgender children and children who have gender dysphoria.

Mental Health Issues in Transgender Children and Children with Gender Dysphoria

September 30, 2025 • YouthREX

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