Psychomedical care in gender identity dysphoria during adolescence

IntroductionIn the clinical literature, the term gender dysphoria is used to define the perception of rejection that a person has to the fact of being male or female. In children and adolescents, gender identity dysphoria is a complex clinical entity. The result of entity is variable and uncertain, but in the end only a few will be transsexuals in adulthood.Objectives-To review the current status of the aetiology and prevalence, Spanish health care protocols, DSM-V, ICD-10 and international standards.-Psychomedical intervention in under 18 year-olds.Methodology-A review of PubMed and UpToDate databases.-Presentation of a clinical case in adolescence woman > man.Results and conclusions-There is evidence of a hormonal impact on the aetiology of gender identity dysphoria and an underestimation of its prevalence.-Relevance to DSM-V, including the replacement of the term “gender identity disorder” by “dysphoria gender identity”, and thus the partial removal of the previous disease connotation.-The seventh edition of the international standards World Professional Association for Transgender Health highlights the role of the therapist for advice on the way to the transition.-The Spanish 2012 guide stands out for its wealth of details and explanations, with a language targeted at different professionals.-Dysphoria gender identity must be studied by a multidisciplinary team, in which the psychotherapist must be expert in developmental psychopathology and evaluate emotional and behavioural problems.