Startseite Observations of the effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog treatment on psychosocial well-being in transgender youth and their caregivers – a pilot study
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Observations of the effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog treatment on psychosocial well-being in transgender youth and their caregivers – a pilot study

  • Anisha Gohil EMAIL logo , Kelly Donahue und Erica A. Eugster
Veröffentlicht/Copyright: 8. August 2025

Abstract

Objectives

We investigated indices of mental health in transgender youth and their primary caregiver during 12 months of GnRHa therapy.

Methods

Psychological measures were completed at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months by patients and caregivers using validated questionnaires from the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System and National Institutes of Health Toolbox. One-way repeated-measures ANOVAs were performed to evaluate differences in psychological measures across time. One-sample t-tests compared the sample mean of each measure to the population mean at each time point.

Results

Of 28 patients enrolled, 16 were treated with a GnRHa alone for 12 months. No significant main effect of time on any measure of psychological functioning in patients or caregivers was found (all ps>0.05). Compared to the general population, transgender youth reported higher levels of psychological stress and lower levels of life satisfaction at all time points, and higher levels of depression and anger at later time points, while caregivers perceived decreased well-being in their child on all measures at all time points. Caregivers reported higher levels of self-reported anxiety at all time points and higher levels of self-reported depression at baseline.

Conclusions

Transgender youth and their caregivers in the early stages of medical transition experience more challenges related to psychological well-being compared to the general population. However, all measures of psychological well-being remained stable throughout the study.


Corresponding author: Anisha Gohil, D.O, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Riley Hospital for Children, 705 Riley Hospital Drive, Room 5960, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA, E-mail:

Award Identifier / Grant number: UL1TR001108

  1. Research ethics: The protocol was approved on 2/20/2018 by the Indiana University Institutional Review Board, protocol number 1710815864R00. Written informed consent was obtained from caregivers and patients. Our study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki (as revised in 2013).

  2. Informed consent: Written informed consent was obtained from caregivers and patients.

  3. Author contributions: AG, KD, and EE contributed to conceptualization and design. AG and KD contributed to the data analysis. AG wrote the original draft of the manuscript. KD and EE critically reviewed and edited the manuscript. KD and EE provided supervision and oversight of the manuscript. All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI, and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.

  5. Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest, real or perceived.

  6. Research funding: This project was funded, in part, with support from the Indiana Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, in part by Award Number UL1TR001108 from the National Institutes of Health, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Clinical, and Translational Sciences Award.

  7. Data availability: All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.

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Received: 2025-02-27
Accepted: 2025-07-22
Published Online: 2025-08-08
Published in Print: 2025-09-25

© 2025 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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