Assessing Gender Dysphoria: A Systematic Review of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures

Over the last decade, the manner in which gender dysphoria is defined has changed significantly, as have the presentations of transgender clients to specialist gender services. Although the use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to assess gender dysphoria is widespread, there is a lack of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology of sexual orientation and gender diversity 2022-12, Vol.9 (4), p.398-409
Main Authors: Bowman, Sarah Joy, Casey, Liam John, McAloon, John, Wootton, Bethany M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent Development
Gender Dysphoria
Human
Life Satisfaction
Measurement
Patient Reported Outcome Measures
Psychometrics
Test Reliability
Test Validity
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Summary:Over the last decade, the manner in which gender dysphoria is defined has changed significantly, as have the presentations of transgender clients to specialist gender services. Although the use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to assess gender dysphoria is widespread, there is a lack of literature that assesses the methodological quality of these measures. To address the limits of the existing literature, the aim of the current study was to conduct a systematic review of PROMs that assess gender dysphoria. The systematic review was performed in accordance with the PRISMA and COSMIN methodologies. Five measurement studies met inclusion criteria. Results suggested that none of the measures could be recommended for use without further development. Poor content validity was evident across all measures and internal validity and construct validity were mixed, ranging from inadequate to very good. Measures that show promise for the future include the Gender Congruence and Life Satisfaction Scale, Gender Identity Reflection and Rumination Scale, Gender Preoccupation and Stability Questionnaire, and Transgender Adaptation and Integration Measure. A need to develop reliable and valid measures that are appropriate for use with adolescent samples experiencing gender dysphoria was also identified. Public Significance Statement For clinicians, the study highlights the strengths and weaknesses of existing measures of gender dysphoria. For researchers, the study identifies additional research necessary to improve the methodological quality and measurement properties of the identified measures.
ISSN:2329-0382
2329-0390
DOI:10.1037/sgd0000486