The so-called “gender-maintaining surgery” can lead to dangerous mental health effects, new research finds.
Transgender individuals face “enhancing psychological distress” including depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts.
Researchers at the University of Texas have set out to determine the mental health impacts of trans people who have undergone “gender-affirming surgery.”
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The study focused on 107,583 patients with gender discomfort, with none of them undergoing surgery or without.
“Gender-affirming surgery” can lead to dangerous mental health effects, new research finds. (istock)
They determined that the rates of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and substance use disorders were “significantly high” among those who underwent surgery assessed two years later.
Surgery men had a 25% depression rate compared to men without surgery (11.5%). The anxiety rate for that group was 12.8% compared to 2.6%.
Depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and substance use disorders were “significantly higher” among those undergoing surgery.
The same differences were seen among women as patients undergoing surgery had a depression rate of 22.9% compared to 14.%.
Women who underwent surgery also had an anxiety rate of 10.5% compared to 7.1% without surgery.
The study focused on 107,583 patients with gender discomfort, with none of them undergoing surgery or without. (istock)
Surgery aimed at “personalizing” showed “particularly high” depression and substance abuse rates two years after the procedure, the study found.
“The findings suggest the need for gender-sensitive mental health support after surgery to address postoperative psychological risks,” the researchers wrote.
“Not all treatments”
Jonathan Alpert, a Manhattan-based psychotherapist and author, said the findings underscore the “often overlooked” psychological risks associated with gender-affirming surgeries.
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“These surgeries are important to help individuals adjust their physical appearance to their gender identity, but they are not treatments for the mental health challenges faced by many transgender individuals,” Alpert told Fox News Digital.
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“These findings suggest that surgery alone does not eliminate the complex psychological burdens caused by the personal struggle between social stigma and identity,” he continued.
“In fact, taking females to treat psychological disorders can lead to more problems as the findings of the study are clear.”
“Seeking faster access to these procedures ignores important reality. Long-term psychiatric support is essential.” (istock)
“Surgery is not a guarantee of happiness,” agreed Dr. Brett Osborne, a Florida neurosurgeon.
“The important question remains. Is the surgery itself causing pain, or do existing mental health issues drive people towards it? Are there no correlations or causal relationships?”
Potential causes of gender discomfort
A 2022 study identified approximately 1.4 million American adults as transgender, and showed that around 0.6% of adults across the country experience gender discomfort.
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“The dramatic upward trend in gender dysphoria among young people in recent years should raise serious questions about the role of cultural and social influence,” Alpert said.
“While the rise in awareness has made it easier for some children to fight, we cannot ignore the possibility that, along with social contagion and social media, it is contributing to this surge.”
Teens who are being treated for gender discomfort are “good support and compassionate” without being pressured to make medical decisions that “life-changing”; Alpert advised.
“Gender-affirming surgery is aggressive, permanent and risk-packed.”
Both experts warn against rushing into surgery or other irreversible decisions.
“Remember, gender-affirming surgeries are aggressive, permanent and risky,” Osborne told Fox News Digital.
He expressed the same caution about hormone therapy. “We're talking about irreversible changes that require lifelong management.”
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“Too many people jumped into these interventions without fully understanding the outcome,” he continued. “Seeking faster access to these procedures ignores important reality. Long-term psychiatric support is essential.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to research researchers requesting comment.
