A new study from a psychology professor at Northwestern University appears to confirm something that many of us already suspected from more anecdotal data. Professor Michael Bailey reviewed survey data from more than 1,500 parents of children and young adults who had “transitioned” to the opposite gender. A large number of parents said that they felt “pressured” into supporting their children’s transition. And a majority said that the children displayed “worse mental health outcomes” after going through transgender treatments. This was most often observed in patients described as experiencing Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria, where the condition seemingly “comes out of nowhere.” This further supports the belief that much of what is being observed is a form of social contagion spreading rapidly through youth peer groups. (Daily Wire)

Parents were often “pressured” into transitioning their children to treat gender dysphoria, after which the parents reported worse mental health outcomes for their children, according to a new study.

Northwestern University psychology professor Michael Bailey analyzed survey data from 1,655 parents of youth and young adult children who identified as the opposite sex or non-binary. The survey data was compiled by the anonymous support group Parents of Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) Kids, an organization that collects horror stories from parents whose children struggled with gender dysphoria.

The data collected came from families with children who began to identify as transgender between the ages of 11 and 21.

One surprising element of the study was the disparity in the gender divide. Male-to-female transgender cases like Jazz Jennings and various drag queen performers receive the lion’s share of media attention. But the survey found that female-to-male transitions are far more common, accounting for roughly 75% of all cases. It was suggested that young girls tend to be more susceptible to suggestion and group think than boys.

The other startling fact that was discovered is another part of this phenomenon that we’ve brought up before. More than half of the parents said that their children had other preexisting mental issues prior to transitioning and those issues were not resolved after the process. (National Review)

Fifty-seven percent of parents reported that their gender-dysphoric children had preexisting mental health issues:

“One statistically robust finding was both disturbing and seemingly important. Youths with a history of mental health issues were especially likely to have taken steps to socially and medically transition. This relationship held even after statistically adjusting for likely confounders (e.g., age). The finding is concerning because youth with mental health issues may be especially likely to lack judgment necessary to make these important, and in the case of medical transition permanent, decisions.”

That’s seriously disturbing. If you have a child that is already experiencing some form of mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, or detachment from reality (depersonalization-derealization disorder), shouldn’t a responsible medical professional want to deal with those issues first before diving into some kind of gender-bending experiment? Of course, we’re asking the phrase “responsible medical professional” to do some heavy lifting in the current environment.

Some of you likely won’t be surprised by these results. But you’re not the audience this information needs to reach. As the survey shows, too many parents are simply accepting what pro-trans clinicians tell them, even if they are uncomfortable with the prognosis. That needs to change.