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Category: Communication

Description: This paper provides a general critical overview of “gender dysphoria” as a DSM-5 diagnostic category. Gender dysphoria refers to persistent psychological distress associated with the incongruence between the assigned gender at birth and gender identity in transgender people. Previous research suggests that people with gender dysphoria have a higher risk of psychiatric comorbidity than general population samples. There is evidence that stressful events related to discrimination, stigma and social exclusion against transgender people contribute to explain, at least in part, gender dysphoria and comorbidity in this population. Furthermore, pathologizing gender dysphoria, through the disease connotations of this diagnostic label, may increase stigma and discrimination towards transgender people.