Gender diverse identities and associated mental health symptomatology

What we are doing:

The PhD explores what it means to identify as a gender outside of male and female and why this affects mental health. It explores the terminology used for identities outside of the binary, how gender diverse people negotiate their identity in a binary world and also explores gender identity development outside of male and female. The PhD hopes to pilot a diagnostic tool to help patients explain their gender identity development and how it impacts their life.  

Why we are doing it: 

Gender Identity Clinics in the UK are seeing an increasing amount of patients who identify outside of male and female. Studies show that this group suffer from greater mental health issues than the general population and many now seek gender identity treatment. Little is known about the gender development of this group or how they negotiate their identity in a binary world. This PhD aims to help greater understand gender diverse identities.  

What the benefits will be:

The study will help provide research to inform clinicians working in this area as well as academics who are also researching gender diverse identities. It is also hoped that the PhD will produce a card sorting task which can aid diagnosis of gender dysphoria for those who do not feel their identity is male or female.  

Who we are working with:

The project is being developed with the help and input of the Nottingham Gender Identity clinic and is supervised by Jon Arcelus who is part of the Institute of Mental Health at the University of Nottingham. 

Contact:

Nat Thorne, nat.thorne@nottingham.ac.uk.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash