Body Image in Adolescents with Gender Incongruence and Its Association with Psychological Functioning

Abstract

During adolescence, many individuals with gender incongruence (GI) experience distress related to body dissatisfaction. This study aims to describe the body (dis)satisfaction of Dutch adolescents referred for GI and to describe the influence of body image on their psychological functioning. Self-report measures on body satisfaction (Body Image Scale) and psychological functioning (Youth Self-Report) were obtained from 787 adolescents (aged 10-18) who were referred to the Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria at the Amsterdam University Medical Centers between 1996 and 2016. First, a general description of body satisfaction in adolescents with GI was developed. Secondly, multiple linear regression analyses were performed to determine the association between body image and psychological functioning, both for total problems and for internalizing and externalizing problems separately. Third, regression analyses are repeated for body area subscales. Adolescents with GI report the greatest dissatisfaction with the genital area, regardless of birth-assigned sex. For all other body areas, there were birth-assigned sex differences in satisfaction. The analyses showed that body satisfaction was significantly related to total psychological problems and both internalizing and externalizing problems. Greater body dissatisfaction is significantly associated with worse psychological functioning in adolescents with GI. Clinicians should monitor the body image of adolescents with GI over time, especially during puberty and medical interventions.