Positive and Negative Affect Changes during Gender-Affirming Hormonal Treatment: Results from the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI)

Improving transgender people’s quality of life (QoL) is the most important goal of gender-affirming care. Prospective changes in affect can influence QoL. We aim to assess the impact of initiating gender-affirming hormonal treatment (HT) on affect. In the European Network for the Investigation of Ge...

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Main Authors: Imke Matthys, Justine Defreyne, Els Elaut, Alessandra Daphne Fisher, Baudewijntje P. C. Kreukels, Annemieke Staphorsius, Martin Den Heijer, Guy T’Sjoen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
Series:Journal of Clinical Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/2/296
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author Imke Matthys
Justine Defreyne
Els Elaut
Alessandra Daphne Fisher
Baudewijntje P. C. Kreukels
Annemieke Staphorsius
Martin Den Heijer
Guy T’Sjoen
author_facet Imke Matthys
Justine Defreyne
Els Elaut
Alessandra Daphne Fisher
Baudewijntje P. C. Kreukels
Annemieke Staphorsius
Martin Den Heijer
Guy T’Sjoen
author_sort Imke Matthys
collection DOAJ
description Improving transgender people’s quality of life (QoL) is the most important goal of gender-affirming care. Prospective changes in affect can influence QoL. We aim to assess the impact of initiating gender-affirming hormonal treatment (HT) on affect. In the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI) study, we prospectively collected data of 873 participants (451 transwomen (TW) and 422 transmen (TM)). At baseline, psychological questionnaires including the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) were administered. The PANAS, levels of sex steroids and physical changes were registered at each follow-up visit during a 3-year follow-up period, starting at the initiation of hormonal therapy. Data were analyzed cross-sectionally and prospectively. Over the first three months, we observed a decline in positive affect (PA) in both TM and TW. Thereafter, PA reached a steady state in TW, whereas in TM there was also a second decline at 18 months. In both TM and TW there was no persisting difference comparing baseline to the 36-months results. Concerning negative affect (NA), we observed a decline during the first year in TM, which sustained during the second year and was not different anymore at 36 months compared to baseline. In TW though, we did not find any change of NA during the entire follow-up. Even if some of these results show significant differences, they should be considered with caution, since there was no control group and the absolute differences are small. No association between affect and the level of sex steroids was observed. Baseline QoL and psychological burden are related to affect independently from gender but are not necessarily good predictors of the evolution of one’s affect during the gender-affirming process. Further research is necessary to investigate these preliminary results.
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spelling doaj.art-52f71251a11c49309a08f3a4d0e04efc2023-12-03T13:16:28ZengMDPI AGJournal of Clinical Medicine2077-03832021-01-0110229610.3390/jcm10020296Positive and Negative Affect Changes during Gender-Affirming Hormonal Treatment: Results from the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI)Imke Matthys0Justine Defreyne1Els Elaut2Alessandra Daphne Fisher3Baudewijntje P. C. Kreukels4Annemieke Staphorsius5Martin Den Heijer6Guy T’Sjoen7Department of Endocrinology, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumDepartment of Endocrinology, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumCenter for Sexology and Gender, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumAndrology, Women’s Endocrinology and Gender Incongruence Unit, Department of Experimental, Clinical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, 50139 Florence, ItalyDepartment of Medical Psychology, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location VUmc, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsCenter of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location VUmc, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsCenter of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam University Medical Center, location VUmc, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The NetherlandsDepartment of Endocrinology, Ghent University Hospital, 9000 Ghent, BelgiumImproving transgender people’s quality of life (QoL) is the most important goal of gender-affirming care. Prospective changes in affect can influence QoL. We aim to assess the impact of initiating gender-affirming hormonal treatment (HT) on affect. In the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI) study, we prospectively collected data of 873 participants (451 transwomen (TW) and 422 transmen (TM)). At baseline, psychological questionnaires including the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) were administered. The PANAS, levels of sex steroids and physical changes were registered at each follow-up visit during a 3-year follow-up period, starting at the initiation of hormonal therapy. Data were analyzed cross-sectionally and prospectively. Over the first three months, we observed a decline in positive affect (PA) in both TM and TW. Thereafter, PA reached a steady state in TW, whereas in TM there was also a second decline at 18 months. In both TM and TW there was no persisting difference comparing baseline to the 36-months results. Concerning negative affect (NA), we observed a decline during the first year in TM, which sustained during the second year and was not different anymore at 36 months compared to baseline. In TW though, we did not find any change of NA during the entire follow-up. Even if some of these results show significant differences, they should be considered with caution, since there was no control group and the absolute differences are small. No association between affect and the level of sex steroids was observed. Baseline QoL and psychological burden are related to affect independently from gender but are not necessarily good predictors of the evolution of one’s affect during the gender-affirming process. Further research is necessary to investigate these preliminary results.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/2/296affectquality of lifegender-affirming hormonal treatmentPANAS questionnaireestrogenstestosterone
spellingShingle Imke Matthys
Justine Defreyne
Els Elaut
Alessandra Daphne Fisher
Baudewijntje P. C. Kreukels
Annemieke Staphorsius
Martin Den Heijer
Guy T’Sjoen
Positive and Negative Affect Changes during Gender-Affirming Hormonal Treatment: Results from the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI)
Journal of Clinical Medicine
affect
quality of life
gender-affirming hormonal treatment
PANAS questionnaire
estrogens
testosterone
title Positive and Negative Affect Changes during Gender-Affirming Hormonal Treatment: Results from the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI)
title_full Positive and Negative Affect Changes during Gender-Affirming Hormonal Treatment: Results from the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI)
title_fullStr Positive and Negative Affect Changes during Gender-Affirming Hormonal Treatment: Results from the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI)
title_full_unstemmed Positive and Negative Affect Changes during Gender-Affirming Hormonal Treatment: Results from the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI)
title_short Positive and Negative Affect Changes during Gender-Affirming Hormonal Treatment: Results from the European Network for the Investigation of Gender Incongruence (ENIGI)
title_sort positive and negative affect changes during gender affirming hormonal treatment results from the european network for the investigation of gender incongruence enigi
topic affect
quality of life
gender-affirming hormonal treatment
PANAS questionnaire
estrogens
testosterone
url https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/2/296
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