A doctor, who is also a leading advocate for adolescent gender treatments , delayed the publication of a long-anticipated study on puberty blockers . According to a report published in the New York Times, the doctor cited concerns over the current political climate in the US.
The study, which began in 2015, tracked 95 children who were given puberty blockers to prevent permanent physical changes that might worsen their gender dysphoria . Despite initial hopes, the study found no improvement in the children's mental health after two years of treatment.
Dr Johanna Olson-Kennedy , who conducted the study, suggested the reason for the lack of mental health improvement was that the children were already in good mental health at the start. However, this contradicts earlier data, which showed that about a quarter of the participants were struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts before the treatment.
She expressed concerns that publishing the findings could lead to them being "weaponised" in political debates, particularly in light of growing state bans on gender-affirming treatments for minors.
Critics, including fellow researchers on the project, have voiced concerns about withholding this important data.
Amy Tishelman, a clinical psychologist and one of the study's original researchers, stressed the importance of making the results public, even if they don’t align with expected conclusions. She noted that the lack of change in mental health outcomes could still have value, suggesting that puberty blockers might have had a preventative effect on worsening mental health.
The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ), was part of a broader $9.7 million project to examine transgender youth care .
Despite the delays, Dr Olson-Kennedy insisted that she plans to publish the data.
Meanwhile, similar studies in England have also found limited evidence that puberty blockers improve mental health, prompting the National Health Service ( NHS ) to halt their use for children, except in clinical trials .
Critics argue that Olson-Kennedy’s decision to delay the study's publication undermined the scientific process, which requires transparency, regardless of potential political fallout.
The study, which began in 2015, tracked 95 children who were given puberty blockers to prevent permanent physical changes that might worsen their gender dysphoria . Despite initial hopes, the study found no improvement in the children's mental health after two years of treatment.
Dr Johanna Olson-Kennedy , who conducted the study, suggested the reason for the lack of mental health improvement was that the children were already in good mental health at the start. However, this contradicts earlier data, which showed that about a quarter of the participants were struggling with depression or suicidal thoughts before the treatment.
She expressed concerns that publishing the findings could lead to them being "weaponised" in political debates, particularly in light of growing state bans on gender-affirming treatments for minors.
Critics, including fellow researchers on the project, have voiced concerns about withholding this important data.
Amy Tishelman, a clinical psychologist and one of the study's original researchers, stressed the importance of making the results public, even if they don’t align with expected conclusions. She noted that the lack of change in mental health outcomes could still have value, suggesting that puberty blockers might have had a preventative effect on worsening mental health.
The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health ( NIH ), was part of a broader $9.7 million project to examine transgender youth care .
Despite the delays, Dr Olson-Kennedy insisted that she plans to publish the data.
Meanwhile, similar studies in England have also found limited evidence that puberty blockers improve mental health, prompting the National Health Service ( NHS ) to halt their use for children, except in clinical trials .
Critics argue that Olson-Kennedy’s decision to delay the study's publication undermined the scientific process, which requires transparency, regardless of potential political fallout.
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