Changes in depression symptom profile with gender-affirming hormone use in transgender persons

Women show higher prevalence of depression and different symptomatology than men, possibly influenced by sex hormones. Many transgender persons, who face a high risk of depression, use Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy (GAHT), but the impact of GAHT on depressive symptom profiles is unknown.

This study examined depressive symptoms in transgender persons before GAHT and after 3- and 12 months of GAHT. We used the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology-Self Report to assess depressive symptoms, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to assess symptom clusters, and linear mixed models to assess changes in symptom clusters.

This study included 110 transmasculine (TM) and 89 transfeminine (TF) participants. EFA revealed four symptom clusters: mood, anxiety, lethargy, and somatic symptoms. Changes in total depressive symptoms significantly differed between TM and TF groups. After 3 months of GAHT, TM participants reported improvement in lethargy (-16 %; 95%CI: -29 %; -2 %), and after 12 months TF participants reported worsening in low mood (24 %; 95%CI: 3 %; 51 %), but absolute score changes were modest. Neither group showed changes in anxiety or somatic symptoms.

This study had limited sample sizes at 12 months follow-up and did not include relevant biological or psychosocial covariates.

Changes in depressive symptoms after GAHT use differ in TM and TF persons: TM persons report slight improvements in lethargy, whereas TF persons report a slight increase in low mood. Starting GAHT represents a significant life event with profound social and physical effects, and further research should assess social and biological effects of GAHT on mood-related symptoms.