A systematic review of psychosocial functioning changes after gender-affirming hormone therapy among transgender people

David Matthew Doyle, Tom O G Lewis, Manuela Barreto

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

8 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This systematic review assessed the state and quality of evidence for effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy on psychosocial functioning. Forty-six relevant journal articles (six qualitative, 21 cross-sectional, 19 prospective cohort) were identified. Gender-affirming hormone therapy was consistently found to reduce depressive symptoms and psychological distress. Evidence for quality of life was inconsistent, with some trends suggesting improvements. There was some evidence of affective changes differing for those on masculinizing versus feminizing hormone therapy. Results for self-mastery effects were ambiguous, with some studies suggesting greater anger expression, particularly among those on masculinizing hormone therapy, but no increase in anger intensity. There were some trends toward positive change in interpersonal functioning. Overall, risk of bias was highly variable between studies. Small samples and lack of adjustment for key confounders limited causal inferences. More high-quality evidence for psychosocial effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy is vital for ensuring health equity for transgender people.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1320-1331
Number of pages12
JournalNature Human Behaviour
Volume7
Issue number8
Early online date22 May 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2023

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