Abstract

Between 4.8% and 26% of adults presenting to gender dysphoria clinics have an autism diagnosis. Both autistic people and gender-diverse people have higher rates of mental health conditions including anxiety and depression and more difficulties with executive functioning, all of which impact quality of life. Some work suggests that gender affirmation leads to better mental health outcomes, including better executive functioning, but this has not been studied directly in autistic adults who identify as gender-diverse or transgender. As such, we elected to explore the relationships among these variables at this intersection of gender diversity and autism. In a sample of 54 gender-diverse individuals, almost half of whom were autistic, we found that having planned, scheduled, or completed gender-affirming surgical procedures were associated with improved anxiety and depression symptoms, and with better executive functioning. We noticed that within this group there were high levels of anxiety, so much so that the anxiety appeared to be overwhelming our other analyses. In all of our analyses, increased anxiety was associated with worse executive functioning, and in many of our analyses, further steps in gender affirmation was associated with decreased anxiety. Findings suggest that clinicians can support gender-diverse people by helping them with their mental health, particularly with managing their anxiety.

Degree

PhD

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Psychology

Rights

https://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

Date Submitted

2023-06-21

Document Type

Dissertation

Handle

http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/1877/etd13283

Keywords

autism, gender diversity, transgender, gender diverse, executive functioning, mental health

Language

english

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