A paper presented at the ECEESPE2025 Congress (Naples, Italy) has examined the emotional impact that a gender dysphoria diagnosis can have on the parents of transgender young people, and which factors shape that impact.
Study design
Seventy-five mother–father pairs (150 people in total) of adolescents who had received a gender dysphoria diagnosis took part. Researchers assessed heteronormative beliefs, mentalization capacity (the ability to understand, psychologically, one’s own and other people’s emotions and behaviour) and the traumatic impact of the diagnosis.
The results
Heteronormative attitudes were significantly higher in fathers than in mothers. These attitudes were associated with a greater traumatic impact of the diagnosis only in fathers, while in both parents a link was observed between heteronormative attitudes and traumatic impact. In addition, poor mentalization mediated this relationship only in fathers.
Why it matters
The authors conclude that when a young person enters the health system for gender incongruence, the whole family should be supported, so as to create an accepting environment in which stress and negative emotions can be properly processed.
Source: Lorello P. et al. The impact of gender dysphoria diagnosis on parents of transgender youth: the role of heteronormativity and mentalization. Endocrine Abstracts (2025) 110, EP1301. DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.110.EP1301 (ECEESPE2025).
Link to the publication: Abstract in Endocrine Abstracts
