Gender-affirming hormone therapy is linked to lower depression in transgender adults, study shows – CTV
March 17, 2025
Gender-affirming hormone therapy may help patients with their mental health as well as their physical bodies, according to a new study.
“Transgender, nonbinary, and gender diverse patients prescribed hormones had a 15% lower risk of moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms over 4 years of follow-up compared with those not prescribed hormones,” said lead study author Dr. Sari Reisner, associate professor of epidemiology at University of Michigan School of Public Health, in an email.
The study analyzed data of 3,592 patients of two federally qualified community health centers in Boston and New York City and looked at both their hormone therapy prescription and their Patient Health Questionnaire scores, which indicated their depression levels.
Those participants who received hormone therapy had significantly lower risks of moderate to severe depression symptoms in their four years of follow-ups, according to the study published Monday in the journal JAMA Network Open.
