Zitat:Implications for clinical practice
The synthesis of existing data and our new multisense theory presented in this paper have potential to increase understanding and improve treatment outcomes. The goal of any treatment of gender dysphoria is to decrease distress. Our new theory furthers the discussion regarding biologically-based treatments independent of gender identity affirmation that might address distress and body ownership in individuals with gender dysphoria. The use of gender reassignment as a therapy is sometimes motivated on the assumption that the distress is due to the individuals having a brain sex different than their gender assigned at birth and that the desire to change genders is based on a correct sense of true gender (Gooren, 2006). Current data question that assumption. Thus, it is inaccurate to use the opposite brain sex theory as motivation for transitioning genders. Motivation for treatment for gender dysphoria should instead solely focus on mitigating distress and other specific outcomes. Current treatments can involve invasive surgeries and potentially irreversible modifications (such as the possibility of becoming sterile).
Treatments based on our new theory could instead involve targeting the distress and/or body-ownership networks, perhaps specifically seeking to restore a sense of ownership over body parts perceived as incongruous. Such an approach could potentially have less risk, be less invasive, have fewer barriers to receiving care, and still be effective at reducing distress and improving quality of life. Given the high need to improve outcomes related to the distress, depression, anxiety, and suicide associated with gender dysphoria, the significant burden associated with current treatments, and the role of dynamic activity in multiple functional networks, we both urge caution to the clinical community in moving forward with irreversible procedures and express urgency to the research community to identify more effective treatments without irreversible effects—discovering currently unseen doors for improving the lives of those with gender dysphoria.