A recent study from U.K researchers at the University of Essex explained how taking puberty-blocking drugs has been shown to cause mental health issues in trans children. After re-examining the results of a previous study, the researchers found that one-third of the youth with gender dysphoria experienced a decline in mental health after taking the hormone reducing drug, triptorelin. The original study conducted at NHS’ Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) at Tavistock and University College London Hospitals in 2021, analyzed 44 children between the ages of 12 and 15 taking puberty-blocking drugs. All of them had been classified as having gender dysphoria.
The new analysis of the study found that 34% of the trans youth experience a decline in mental health while taking puberty blockers, 37% reported no change in mental health and 29% noticed an improvement. Emotional factors, behavioral signals and sleep difficulties were analyzed by the researchers to determine the extent of mental health changes in the youth group. Dr. Brett Osborn was not involved in either study, but shared his expertise with Fox News on the development of the human brain and was not surprised by the impact of puberty blockers on kid’s mental health.
"The human brain — and in particular the developing brain — is particularly sensitive to and reliant on circulating hormone levels to function optimally," said Osborn.
Dr. Osborne explained how sex hormones such as testosterone, estrogen and progesterone - hormones that were suppressed in the study population using triptorelin - play a major role in mood regulation and cognition.
"Optimal progesterone levels are also important for sleep, whereas low levels are associated with insomnia and mood lability (mood swings)," Osborn said.
"Estrogen also plays a central role in cognition and our sense of general well-being — for both men and women," Osborn said. "Men and women need progesterone and estrogen for optimal brain development and function."
Dr. Osborn further explained how artificially changing the levels of hormones in a person’s body can impact one’s mental health.
"Bottom line? Not only our bodies, but our brains, function best with optimal hormone levels."
"Lowering their levels artificially with medications like triptorelin is potentially dangerous and only contributing to the escalating mental health burden in America."
This article originally appeared on Fox News and was written by Melissa Rudy
