[Emotional instability and suicidal behavior as a consequence of transsexualism]

This contribution describes a case that led to hospitalization in our psychiatric clinic due to emotional instability and suicidal behavior resulting from a gender identity disorder (female to male transsexualism). During inpatient treatment that lasted for almost 4 months, considerable improvement of the patient's emotional instability and suicidal behavior could be achieved. Treatment success was maintained up to follow-up (18 months after discharge). The syndrome-oriented pharmacotherapy with quetiapine and valproate which had been administered as off-label medication to stabilize the patient's mood could be considered the effective factor. A few months after release from inpatient care, cross-gender hormone therapy was initiated accompanied by outpatient psychotherapy.