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Is 'gender disappointment' a unique mental illness?
Tereza Hendl1, Tamara Kayali Browne2
1The Institute of Ethics, History and Theory of Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, Munich, Germany. tereza.hendl@lmu.de.
Medicine, Health Care, and Philosophy
|December 23, 2019
Summary
Gender disappointment, a parental sadness over a child's sex, is not a unique mental disorder. Distress is real and requires psychological support, rooted in gender essentialism.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Gender Studies
Background:
- 'Gender disappointment' describes parental sadness when a child's sex does not match parental desire.
- This phenomenon is often cited as a motivation for sex selection.
- It is frequently discussed as a mental disorder across various platforms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if 'gender disappointment' constitutes a distinct diagnostic category.
- To analyze the framing of 'gender disappointment' in public discourse and among parents.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and conceptual analysis.
- Examination of discourse in media, online forums, and interview data related to sex selection.
Main Results:
- 'Gender disappointment' does not present unique diagnostic criteria, symptoms, or therapeutic approaches distinct from existing mental health categories.
- The distress experienced by parents is acknowledged as genuine and necessitating psychological intervention.
Conclusions:
- 'Gender disappointment' is not a unique mental illness diagnosis.
- Parental distress in this context is linked to gender essentialist beliefs.
- Addressing this distress requires both individual psychological support and societal-level engagement with gender essentialism.
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