Kids are 50 times more likely to suffer from ‘gender distress’ than a decade ago, according to shock study
KIDS are 50 times more likely to suffer from “gender distress” than a decade ago, according to a study of NHS records.
One in 1,200 in 2021 said they experienced turmoil over their biological sex by the age of 18.
That compared to just one in every 60,000 in 2011.
The findings come as MPs were warned of a “conveyor belt” towards trans ideology.
The new study, from the University of York, found there was a faster growth in girls wanting to identify as boys, compared to the other way round.
Just 13 per cent of those officially diagnosed with “gender dysphoria” were prescribed puberty blockers or hormones.
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Researchers also found those questioning their gender are more likely than average to have autism or mental health problems.
Study author Professor Tim Doran said increasing use of social media is one of the factors behind the rise.
In a meeting with MPs on Wednesday, top hormone doctor Professor Ashley Grossman, from Oxford University, warned of a “conveyor belt” towards trans ideology.
Until last year, England only had one NHS gender clinic before it was closed down due to controversial attitudes and a backlog of more than 5,000 young people.
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Ministers are replacing it with regional clinics with a bigger focus on mental health and have banned the prescription of sex-change drugs to under-18s.
The study said youngsters questioning their gender are more likely than average to have autism or mental health problems.
Analysis of health records found the rate of recorded gender dysphoria in under-18s increased from 0.16 per 10,000 in 2011 to 8.3 per 10,000 in 2021 – a 52-fold rise.
Writing in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, Professor Doran said: “Recent increases in incidence of gender dysphoria or incongruence have a range of potential explanations.
“These include social factors, for example changes in public attitudes towards gender differences, greater awareness and acceptance of gender dysphoria, and increasing use of social media.
“Recording behaviour by [GP] practices may also have changed.”
He said it “remains uncommon” despite the rise.
In a meeting with MPs on Wednesday, top hormone doctor Professor Ashley Grossman, from Oxford University, warned of a “conveyor belt” towards trans ideology.
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He told the Health and Social Care Committee: “Adolescence and childhood is quite a difficult time and highly confusing for a lot of children.
“My concern is that we’re not adequately assessing the probably much larger number who, with adequate counselling and psychological support, would eventually decide they wanted to stay cisgender.”
