title: Factors associated with desistence and persistence of childhood gender dysphoria: a quantitative follow-up study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the factors associated with the persistence of childhood gender dysphoria (GD), and to assess the feelings of GD, body image, and sexual orientation in adolescence.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 127 adolescents (79 boys, 48 girls), who were referred for GD in childhood (<12 years of age) and followed up in adolescence. We examined childhood differences among persisters and desisters in demographics, psychological functioning, quality of peer relations and childhood GD, and adolescent reports of GD, body image, and sexual orientation. We examined contributions of childhood factors on the probability of persistence of GD into adolescence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a link between the intensity of GD in childhood and persistence of GD, as well as a higher probability of persistence among natal girls. Psychological functioning and the quality of peer relations did not predict the persistence of childhood GD. Formerly nonsignificant (age at childhood assessment) and unstudied factors (a cognitive and/or affective cross-gender identification and a social role transition) were associated with the persistence of childhood GD, and varied among natal boys and girls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intensity of early GD appears to be an important predictor of persistence of GD. Clinical recommendations for the support of children with GD may need to be developed independently for natal boys and for girls, as the presentation of boys and girls with GD is different, and different factors are predictive for the persistence of GD.
authors.affiliation: Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria and the Vrije Universiteit University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. t.steensma@vumc.nl
authors.forename: Thomas D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Steensma
authors.forename: Jenifer K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: Baudewijntje P C
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Kreukels
authors.forename: Anneke J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Beekman
authors.forename: Peggy T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Cohen-Kettenis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D019529:Sexuality / Q000523:psychology*; D014189:Transsexualism / Q000523:psychology*