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Gender dysphoria

LC control no.sh 85053731
LC classificationRC560.G45 Psychiatry
Topical headingGender dysphoria
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Variant(s)Dysphoria, Gender
GD (Gender dysphoria)
Gender identity disorder
Gender identity disorders
Gender incongruence
GID (Gender identity disorder)
Incongruence, Gender
See alsoDistress (Psychology)
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Psychosexual disorders
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Gender-nonconforming people--Psychology
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Transgender people--Psychology
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Two-spirit people--Psychology
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Gender identity
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Scope noteHere are entered works on the emotions felt as a result of incongruence between a person's experienced or expressed gender and their assigned gender, including works on gender dysphoria as a medical diagnosis.
Found inStitt, A. ACT for gender identity : the comprehensive guide, 2020: p. 7 (The change from gender identity disorder to gender dysphoria in the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders 5th edition (2013) attested to the realization that the brunt of mental health issues facing transgender individuals do not derive from having a transgender identity)
APA dictionary of psychology, via WWW, Jan. 11, 2023 (gender dysphoria: 1. discontent with the physical or social aspects of one's own sex. 2. in DSM-5, a diagnostic class that replaces gender identity disorder and shifts clinical emphasis from cross-gender identification itself to a focus on the possible distress arising from a sense of mismatch, or incongruence, that one may have about one's experienced gender versus one's assigned gender. Diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria in children include significant distress or impairment due to marked gender incongruence, such as a strong desire to be--or a belief that one is--the other gender, preference for the toys, games, roles, and activities stereotypically associated with the other gender, and a strong dislike of one's sexual anatomy. In adults, the manifestations of gender dysphoria may include a strong desire to replace one's physical sex characteristics with those of the other gender (see sex reassignment), the belief that one has the emotions of the other gender, and a desire to be treated as the other gender or recognized as having an alternative gender identity)
Britannica online, Jan. 11, 2023 (gender dysphoria (GD), also known as gender identity disorder (GID), formal diagnosis given by mental health professionals to people who experience distress because of a significant incongruence between the gender with which they personally identify and the gender with which they were born. The GD diagnosis appears in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5; 2013); Although gender nonconformity is not a mental disorder, GD is characterized by clinically significant mental anguish. Persons with GD often have impaired social and occupational functioning because of the marked difference between their expressed gender and their gender at birth. As transgender individuals, those with GD have a strong conviction that their feelings and actions are typical of the opposite gender, and they desire to live and be perceived as that gender)
Homosaurus, viewed Jan. 11, 2023 (Gender dysphoria. SN A psychological diagnosis (replacing the outdated and offensive "gender identity disorder") used to describe the sense of unease or dissatisfaction an individual feels as a result of incongruence between their gender identity and their assigned gender, gender expression, and/or the way their gender is perceived by others. This term is also used colloquially by individuals to describe the discomfort and distress they experience as a result of this incongruence. Though gender dysphoria is often associated with trans people, people of any identity may experience gender dysphoria when they do not feel "right" in their body or the way their gender is being expressed; Gender identity disorder. SN An obsolete psychological diagnosis that medicalizes trans identities and practices; only use in historical contexts. BT Medicalization)
MeSH browser, Jan. 11, 2023 (Gender Dysphoria. UF Gender Identity Disorder. SN A marked difference between the individual's expressed/experienced gender and the gender others would assign to the individual, and it must continue for at least six months. In MeSH tree structures under: Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological)
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition, text revision, 2022: p. 511 ("Gender dysphoria as a general descriptive term refers to the distress that may accompany the incongruence between one's experienced or expressed gender and one's assigned gender") p. 513 ("Diagnostic Features: Individuals with gender dysphoria have a marked incongruence between the gender to which they have been assigned (usually based on phenotypic sex at birth, referred to as birth-assigned gender) and their experienced/expressed gender. This discrepancy is the core component of the diagnosis. There must also be evidence of distress about this incongruence")
DSM-5 fact sheets, updated disorders : gender dysphoria, 2013 ("In the upcoming fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), people whose gender at birth is contrary to the one they identify with will be diagnosed with gender dysphoria. This diagnosis is a revision of DSM-IV's criteria for gender identity disorder and is intended to better characterize the experiences of affected children, adolescents, and adults"; "replaces the diagnostic name 'gender identity disorder' with 'gender dysphoria,' as well as makes other important clarifications in the criteria. It is important to note that gender nonconformity is not in itself a mental disorder. The critical element of gender dysphoria is the presence of clinically significant distress associated with the condition"; "Need for Change: Persons experiencing gender dysphoria need a diagnostic term that protects their access to care and won't be used against them in social, occupational, or legal areas"; "Part of removing stigma is about choosing the right words. Replacing 'disorder' with 'dysphoria' in the diagnostic label is not only more appropriate and consistent with familiar clinical sexology terminology, it also removes the connotation that the patient is 'disordered'")
What is gender dysphoria?, via American Psychiatric Association website, viewed Jan. 11, 2023 (Some people who are transgender will experience "gender dysphoria," which refers to psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one's sex assigned at birth and one's gender identity. Though gender dysphoria often begins in childhood, some people may not experience it until after puberty or much later; Gender dysphoria: A concept designated in the DSM-5-TR as clinically significant distress or impairment related to gender incongruence, which may include desire to change primary and/or secondary sex characteristics. Not all transgender or gender diverse people experience gender dysphoria)
Ducar, Dallas. Giving gender-affirming care : "gender dysphoria" diagnosis should not be required, via Stat website, posted Mar. 11, 2022, viewed on Jan. 11, 2023 (The "diagnosis" of gender dysphoria has become a requirement for receiving medically necessary gender-affirming care for patients, even though the diagnosis doesn't apply to all trans people. As with all forms of health care, a diagnosis is required for an insurer to pay for medically necessary care ... Some have called for the American Psychiatric Association ... to remove this diagnosis entirely, as it conflates a social identity with a mental disorder and propagates stigma. Others have argued that the diagnosis is necessary to cover medically necessary treatment--and it does guarantee that certain populations, such as incarcerated people or members of the armed forces, have access to care deemed medically necessary under the law and accepted by major medical organizations such as the American Medical Association)
Trans bodies, trans selves, 2022: pp. 381-382 ("The continued classification of 'gender dysphoria' as a mental health condition is rife with conflict both in medical systems and within our own communities. Many advocate making changes that would remove 'gender dysphoria' as a mental health diagnosis and categorize it as a medical condition. Others argue for the diagnosis to remain as is for various reasons including insurance coverage, access to mental health treatment, and familial acceptance/support, while others prefer no label or classification at all. ... The International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), published by the World Health Organization (WHO), formerly used the diagnosis gender identity disorder but now contains a new diagnosis called gender incongruence that is no longer in the mental health section and instead in a new medical section called 'Conditions Relating to Sexual Health'")
Angelino, A. Assessing health provider perspectives regarding barriers American Indian/Alaska Native transgender and two-spirit youth face accessing healthcare, in Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, v. 7 (2020), viewed online Jan. 27, 2023 ("In the early assessment stages for a patient who identifies as transgender or Two-Spirit, providers typically use the diagnosis 'gender dysphoria' to qualify and justify their patient receive gender-affirming services"; "Many providers expressed that listing gender dysphoria as a diagnosis medicalizes and stigmatizes gender and gender-identity, prohibiting acceptance and perpetuating stereotypes. Definitions are also incongruent with the language transgender identifying individuals use to describe themselves")