Baseline findings from the longitudinal outcomes of gender identity in children (LOGIC) study

Background: Children and young people are increasingly being referred to specialist gender services, and available data on their characteristics are limited. The Longitudinal Outcomes of Gender Identity in Children (LOGIC) study is the first independently funded UK research programme to comprehensively assess quality of life, autism, service use and the psychological well-being of children and adolescents referred to gender services.

Aims: The aim of this baseline assessment is to obtain a multidimensional profile of children and young people on the waiting list for the gender service.

Method: Data were obtained from 617 parents and caregivers and 565 children and young people, representing a quarter of those on the waiting list eligible to participate. Participants were assessed across a range of domains including gender identity, gender dysphoria, mental health and well-being, autism, physical health, service use and quality of life. Results: Gender dysphoria rates among our sample were high, particularly among adolescents. Almost all participants had socially transitioned. Compared with children, adolescents reported significantly poorer quality of life, particularly in relation to self-perception and psychological well-being. Relative to reference population samples, our cohort demonstrated elevated levels of mental ill health and reduced quality of life, although the magnitude of these differences varied. In addition, 59% of young people aged 11 years or over reported self-harm in the past year. Over half of the cohort had received a psychiatric diagnosis, and co-occurrence rates were high. A third of the cohort was either diagnosed with autism or undergoing assessment for autism.

Conclusions: Self-perception and psychological well-being represent particularly impaired quality of life dimensions for adolescents on the waiting list for the UK’s gender service. Complementing existing knowledge, differences emerged between young people and children, reflecting that the onset of puberty is a critical factor in the well-being of this cohort.