Transgender, nonbinary and gender-diverse adults who take gender-affirming hormone therapy are at less risk of depression than those who do not, according to a study published March 17 in JAMA Network Open.
Compared to cisgender adults, this population has a two- to fourfold increased risk of depression. Past research has shown gender-affirming therapies to improve mental health outcomes, but data are lacking in primary care settings, according to researchers of the study.
The observational study followed 3,592 patients who received primary care at federally qualified health centers in New York City and Boston between 2016 and 2019.
At baseline, 84.5% of the adults were prescribed gender-affirming hormone therapy and 15.3% had moderate-to-severe depression. At follow-up appointments two years later, the patients prescribed GAHT had a 15% lower risk of depression.
The research also found that transgender women and nonbinary patients assigned female at birth had a significantly higher risk of depression than transgender men.
Access the study here.
