Relationships between the Feeling of Gender Dysphoria, and Depression and Aggression in Elementary and Junior High School Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feeling of gender dysphoria (incongruity between one's physical sex and gender awareness) in children, and its relationship with internalizing and externalizing problems. Students (N＝5,204, including 2,669 boys and 2,535 girls in grades 4–9) completed a series of self-report questionnaires that assessed their feeling of gender dysphoria (using our original 13-items tool), depression, and aggression. A factor analysis revealed that 12 items from the gender dysphoria scale loaded on one factor and exhibited sufficient internal consistency. Further, the data showed a comparatively weak correlation with parent- and teacher-reported opposite sex behavior, except for the relationship between self-reports by boys and teacher-reports. A multiple regression analysis indicated that the feeling of gender dysphoria showed a moderate relationship with depression and aggression. Specifically, it was revealed that junior high school boys with a higher feeling of gender dysphoria showed a relatively stronger relationship with depression as compared with junior high school girls, as well as elementary school boys and girls.