The Impact of Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy on Mental Health Outcomes in Transgender Adults

Research hypothesis: Gender-affirming hormone therapy improves transgender adults' mental health. Data extraction was performed for all the studies that met inclusion criteria, then entered into SRDR (Systematic Review Data Repository). The following headings:
Sample characteristics: total sample size, number of FtM transgender participants, number of MtF transgender participants, mean age of the participants, age range of the participants, psychiatric comorbidities.
Design details: study design, year of publication, authors of the study, aim of the study, follow up, duration of the follow up.
Interventions/Arms: description of intervention, used dose of treatment, type of treatment administration, control group description
Outcomes: description of mentioned measures
Methodological quality: classification system, statistical analysis, limitations
Inclusion criteria:
• Transgender adults: male-to-female (MtF) and female-to-male (FtM)
• Receipt of hormonal therapy
• No prior medical history of gender-affirming surgeries (GAS)
• Gender dysphoria or gender incongruence diagnosis (ICD/DSM protocols)
• Studies published from the year 2000 onwards
Exclusion criteria:
• Pediatric population
• Undergoing GAHT for less than 3 months
Results were divided in a few categories: symptoms of depression, anxiety, gender dysphoria, general psychopathological symptoms and quality of life. Findings suggest that GAHT can have a positive impact on transgender adults' mental health.