Journal Article

Development of Gender Non-Contentedness During Adolescence and Early Adulthood

Rawee, Pien, Rosmalen, Judith G. M., Kalverdijk, Luuk, Burke, Sarah M.

2024

Overview

Adolescence is an important period for the development of gender identity. We studied the development of gender non-contentedness, i.e., unhappiness with being the gender aligned with one’s sex, from early adolescence to young adulthood, and its association with self-concept, behavioral and emotional problems, and adult sexual orientation. Participants were 2772 adolescents (53% male) from the Tracking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey population and clinical cohort. Data from six waves were included (ages 11–26). Gender non-contentedness was assessed with the item “I wish to be of the opposite sex” from the Youth and Adult Self-Report at all six waves. Behavioral and emotional problems were measured by total scores of these scales at all six waves. Self-concept was assessed at age 11 using the Global Self-Worth and Physical Appearance subscales of the Self-Perception Profile for Children. Sexual orientation was assessed at age 22 by self-report. In early adolescence, 11% of participants reported gender non-contentedness. The prevalence decreased with age and was 4% at the last follow-up (around age 26). Three developmental trajectories of gender non-contentedness were identified: no gender non-contentedness (78%), decreasing gender non-contentedness (19%), and increasing gender non-contentedness (2%). Individuals with an increasing gender non-contentedness more often were female and both an increasing and decreasing trajectory were associated with a lower global self-worth, more behavioral and emotional problems, and a non-heterosexual sexual orientation. Gender non-contentedness, while being relatively common during early adolescence, in general decreases with age and appears to be associated with a poorer self-concept and mental health throughout development.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adolescence / Adolescent / Adolescent boys / Adolescent Development / Adolescents / Adult / Age / Age differences / Behavior problems / Behavioral Science and Psychology / Child / Child development / Emotional disturbances / Emotions / Female / Gender Identity / Heterosexuality / Humans / Longitudinal Studies / Male / Mental health / Original Paper / Perceptions / Personal appearance / Psychology / Public Health / Self Concept / Self esteem / Self Report / Selfworth / Sexual Behavior / Sexual Behavior - psychology / Sexual orientation / Sexuality / Social Sciences / Teenagers / Tracking / Young Adult / Young adults