A new study published in Pediatrics links early gender-affirming medical care to better mental health outcomes. The study, which included 300 transgender children ages 10 to 17 who were receiving gender-affirming treatment at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada, found that those who receive gender-affirming medical care, like puberty blockers and hormones, were less likely to experience mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
While more than three-quarters reported mental health problems, the issues were more likely the older the children were when they arrived at the clinic.
When compared to children ages 10 to 15, children older than 15 were more likely to have been diagnosed with depression (45 percent versus 30