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BPSU study - Gender identity disorder

British Paediatric Surveillance Unit team
Surveillance of gender identity disorder concluded in May 2013. This study was a dual surveillance project collecting data both through the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU) and the Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Surveillance System (CAPSS) at the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The study group are yet to publish their data.
Contents
Table of contents

Lead investigator

Dr Sophie Khadr
Kings College Hospital
Denmark Hill
London SE5 9RS
Email: s.khadr@ich.ucl.ac.uk

皇家华人 the study

Overview

This UK and Ireland study aims to determine the incidence of Gender Identity Disorder (GID) among children and young people aged four to 15.9 years. GID occurs when a person鈥檚 gender identity differs from their biological sex, causing distress (gender dysphoria).

This is a joint study between the British Paediatric Surveillance Unit (BPSU) and the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Surveillance System (CAPSS).

Clinicians reporting a case that meets the case definition criteria will be sent a brief questionnaire to establish basic clinical details about the child or young person concerned. A follow-up questionnaire will be sent at one and two years post-notification.

This study will provide important population-level data about the incidence, clinical presentation, co-morbidities and stability/persistence of gender dysphoria at one and two years.

This data will inform service provision for and clinical management of this vulnerable group of patients.

You can download the protocol card, including references, below.

Case definition

Both of the following criteria (one and two) should be fulfilled:

1. A strong cross-gender identification for more than six months

In children less than 12 years, this requires two or more of the following:

  • in boys, preference for cross-dressing or simulating female attire; in girls, insistence on wearing only stereotypical masculine clothing
  • strong preferences for cross-sex roles in make-believe play or fantasies of being the other sex
  • intense desire to participate in stereotypical games/pastimes of the other sex
  • strong preference for playmates of the other sex.

In adolescents more than 12 years, this requires one or more of the following:

  • frequent passing as the other sex (adopts clothing, hairstyle of the other sex)
  • desire to live and be treated as the other sex
  • belief that their feelings and reactions are typical of the other sex.

2. Distress or unhappiness with his/her biological sex (eg stated dislike of/aversion to or self-inflicted injury to their primary or secondary sexual characteristics, request for physical intervention to alter their physical sexual characteristics to those of the other sex), or聽stated desire to be or believe聽that he/she is or should be the other sex.

Exclusions:

  • Gender identity disorder cannot be diagnosed in children with known intersex conditions (disorders of sexual differentiation)
  • major psychotic disorder in which gender is one element of a wider delusional system. Cases where gender identity is the only identified 鈥渄elusion鈥 should be included.

Reporting instructions

Please report any child/young person aged 4-15 years inclusive (i.e. 4-15.9 years) meeting the case definition criteria below for the first time in the last month.

Duration

November 2011 鈥 November 2012 (13 months of surveillance). Follow-up until December 2014.

Funding

Tavistock & Portman grant via the Advisory Group for National Specialised Services.

Approval

This study has been approved by London Bloomsbury REC (REC Ref: 11/LO/1512) and the National Information Governance Board (NIGB) under Section 251. (Ref: ECC 8-02(FT4)/2011).

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