In a move that could have a far-reaching impact on transgender healthcare, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) has come out with a series of transgender-positive positions.
The statements represent a shift for the APA, which has long provoked the ire of trans activists who say the group's labeling of transgender people in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is offensive.
The APA recently released two statements, approved by its assembly and board of trustees, in support of transgender people. The first condemns discrimination against trans people and calls for policy that supports transgender individuals.
The second advocates that gender-affirming health care is medically necessary and should be supported by the medical community and insurance providers.
"Transgender and gender-variant individuals currently lack access to the best standards of clinical practice, frequently do not have the opportunity to pursue patient-focused treatment decisions, do not receive scientifically establish treatment and could benefit significantly from APA's advocacy," the statement reads.
The statements come alongside news that the APA is doing away with the unpopular term "gender identity disorder" in favor of the term "gender dysphoria" in the upcoming DSM. Some activists have advocated the removal of transgender identity from the DSM altogether, stating that it unfairly categorizes transgender identity as a mental illness.
However, trans advocates applauded the APA's latest statements.
"We welcome the American Psychiatric Association's support, which is part of a long trend in the medical community affirming transgender people's access to health care and civil rights," said Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center for Transgender Equality in a statement to Windy City Times. "The National Center for Transgender Equality strongly believes that changes like this are just going to keep us moving forward."
The APA statement is part of a growing trend among medical societies to back transition-related medical care in recent years. Both the American Medical Association and the American Psychological Association have released such statements.
Claudia Mosier, director of mental health at the Center on Halsted, said the APA positions are particularly powerful when placed alongside the stances of other medical associations.
"It so totally solidifies what all the major health and mental institutions are saying about transgender and gender-variant individuals," Mosier said.
Mosier said the statements could have a practical impact on health care for transgender people, removing barriers to care and encouraging insurance coverage for transition-related health care.
Letter to the Editor
Dear Windy City Times
Thank you for the informative article regarding recent statements by the American Psychiatric Association that support gender affirming care, condemn discrimination against transgender individuals and call for policies and practices that are consistent with supporting the physical and mental health of transgender/gender variant individuals. The article does an excellent job of elucidating the importance of major health and mental health organizations in setting the standard in our fields to both eradicate old, less informed practices and support up-to-date best practices and standards.
The phrase 'mental institutions' attributed to me in the article could be misleading to most readers. I would not have spoken about mental institutions in this context. I was discussing mental health organizations. To someone in our field, a mental institution is a facility which treats mental illness. There is a long history of LGBTQ people having been inappropriately "treated" in mental institutions in an effort to make us fit in with the cultural majority. In my work as a psychologist, I've treated people who were horribly physically and psychologically traumatized by those old practices.
Organizations such as the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association guide standards of care and practice in the United States. These standards of care inform, or should inform, the practices in mental institutions/psychiatric care facilities, psychiatrists and psychologists as well as influencing what is taught to the next generation of mental health practitioners. The quote should have stated "…major health and mental health organizations are saying about transgender and gender-variant individuals."
Again, thank you for "spreading the word" about advancements in the policies and practices of health and mental health organizations regarding LGBTQ people. It is a powerful message with far reaching impact that no major medical, psychiatric, social work or psychological organizations in the United States support any treatments designed to change LGBTQ individuals into being anything but ourselves.
Dr. Claudia Mosier
