Transexuality and adolescence: a systemic review

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Published: Apr 29, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17060/ijodaep.2018.n1.v2.1175
Keywords:
transexuality adolescence transexualizing process

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Olga Fernández-García
Dpto de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación, Universitat de València, Valencia, España
Rafael Ballester-Arnal
Departamento de psicología Básica, Clínica y Psicobiología, Universitat Jaume I de Castellón, España
Paula Iglesias Campos
Dpto de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación, Universitat de València, Valencia, España
Vicente Morell-Mengual
Dpto de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación, Universitat de València, Valencia, España
María Dolores Gil-Llario
Dpto de Psicología Evolutiva y de la Educación, Universitat de València, Valencia, España

Abstract

The study of transsexuality has evolved in recent years reaching greater visibility now thanks to the initiatives of trans collectives and the increase of children and adolescents who attend primary care due to gender identity problems. This growing interest has stimulated research whose abundance requires an analysis and selection of the most relevant works. With this objective we have carried out a bibliographic review in order to address the current state of early transsexuality, focusing on studies related to its etiology, prevalence, diagnosis and current treatments. For this, several databases were consulted (Web of Science, PubMed, PubPsych, Elsevier, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Psychology Database) restricting the search by keywords (“transsexuality”, “transsexualism”, “adolescence”, “adolescents” and “ teenagers “) and publication date (2008-2017). Initially, 103 were obtained, of which 66 were discarded for treating aspects that were not subject of the review and exposing non-extrapolated results due to their small sample. From the analysis of the 37 selected articles, it is obtained, as regards the etiology, that transsexuality has a heterogeneous and multifactorial origin. The prevalence obtained is 9.8%. The diagnosis insists on the need to carry out a permanent follow-up using the interview as the main instrument of choice. Finally, most research highlights the importance of the new therapeutic approach based on triadic therapy that includes psychological treatment (assimilation of the desired role fully), hormonal (hormonal blocking and subsequent treatment with crossed hormones) and surgical (change of genitals and other sexual characters), in spite of the controversy that has provoked by the possible unfavorable effects for the infantile and juvenile population. It concludes the need to continue research to achieve not only a more individualized diagnosis and treatment, but also a greater knowledge dissemination that helps reduce stigmatization.

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How to Cite
Fernández-García, O., Ballester-Arnal, R., Iglesias Campos, P., Morell-Mengual, V., & Gil-Llario, M. D. (2018). Transexuality and adolescence: a systemic review. International Journal of Developmental and Educational Psychology. Revista INFAD De Psicología., 2(1), 91–104. https://doi.org/10.17060/ijodaep.2018.n1.v2.1175
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Vol. 2 No. 1 (2018): THE ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGY IN TODAY'S WORLD
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Articles
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