CAAPS Position Statement on Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD)
As an organization committed to the generation and application of clinical science for the public good, the Coalition for the Advancement and Application of Psychological Science (CAAPS) supports eliminating the use of Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) and similar concepts for clinical and diagnostic application given the lack of rigorous empirical support for its existence.
There are no sound empirical studies of ROGD and it has not been subjected to rigorous peer-review processes that are standard for clinical science. Further, there is no evidence that ROGD aligns with the lived experiences of transgender children and adolescents.
Despite the lack of evidence for ROGD and its significant potential for creating harm, it has garnered increased attention in the general public and is being misused within and beyond the field of psychology. For example, recent medical articles have started including ROGD in their overview of adolescents with gender incongruence, and there has been an increase in books, videos, podcasts, and training directed to parents and clinicians offering strategies for diagnosing and treating ROGD. The proliferation of misinformation regarding ROGD is also infiltrating policy decisions. Currently, there are over 100 bills under consideration in legislative bodies across the country that seek to limit the rights of transgender adolescents, many of which are predicated on the unsupported claims advanced by ROGD. Thus, even though ROGD is not a diagnostic classification or subtype in either the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD), nor is it under consideration for inclusion in future editions, it is critical to address the misinformation regarding ROGD now.
Research on gender identity development in children and adolescents continues to evolve and these advances will likely influence diagnosis and empirically-based standards of care, as well as the legislative landscape impacting trans people’s access to care and legal protections. The available research is clear that transgender people are subjected to marginalization, stigmatization, and minority stress, which have significant detrimental effects on health and well-being. Terms, such as ROGD, that further stigmatize and limit access to gender-affirming and evidence-based care violate the principles upon which CAAPS was founded and public trust in clinical science.
CAAPS supports eliminating the use of ROGD and similar concepts for clinical and diagnostic application given the lack of empirical support for its existence and its likelihood of contributing to harm and mental health burden. CAAPS also encourages further research that leads to evidence-based clinical guidelines for gender-affirming care that support child and adolescent gender identity development. CAAPS opposes trainings that encourage others to utilize this concept in their clinical practice given the lack of reputable scientific evidence to support its clinical utility. Finally, CAAPS recommends expanding community education about these topics to reduce the stigma and marginalization that contribute to mental health burden.
(Published 7/26/2021)
Signatories:
American Psychological Association (APA)
Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, American Psychological Association, Division 44
Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology (SSCP)
Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (SCCAP), American Psychological Association, Division 53
Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM)
Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)
Association for Behavioral & Cognitive Therapies (ABCT)
National Association of School Psychologists
Council of University Directors of Clinical Psychology (CUDCP) Board
Asian American Psychological Association (AAPA)
Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity, and Race
MSU Research Consortium on Gender-based Violence
State, Provincial and Territorial Psychological Association Affairs (Division 31, APA)
American Psychological Association, Division 22 Rehabilitation Psychology
New York Association of School Psychologists (NYASP)
Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA)
Society for the Study of School Psychology (SSSP)
Society for Child and Family Policy and Practice (Division 37 of the American Psychological Association)
Society of Personality and Social Psychology
Association for University and College Counseling Center Directors (AUCCCD)
Psychologists' Association of Alberta
Saint Louis University, Clinical Psychology Program
American Psychology-Law Society; Division 41 of APA
Michigan State University, Department of Psychology, Clinical Science Area
Psychologists in Public Service, American Psychological Association, Division 18
American Psychiatric Association
Society of Pediatric Psychology (SPP), Division 54 of the American Psychological Association
Society for Research in Child Development
National Association of Psychological Research and Graduation Programs
Council on Social Work Education
Stony Brook University, Clinical Psychology Program
Michigan State University Twin Registry (MSUTR)
Society of Counseling Psychology, Division 17, American Psychological Association
National Latinx Psychological Association (NLPA)
Anxiety and Depression Association of America
The Society of Clinical Psychology, APA Division 12
American Group Psychotherapy Association
University of Miami Department of Psychology
Portuguese Psychologists Association
Diverse Sexualities Research and Education institute
National Association of Social Workers
Puerto Rico Psychology Association
Association for Psychological Science
Connecticut Psychological Association
Howard Brown Health
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
British Columbia Psychological Association
World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH)
Associations for Psychologists in Academic Health Centers
Nebraska Psychological Association
GLMA: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality
Michigan Psychological Association
Arizona Psychological Association
New Hampshire Mental Health Counselors Association
Florida Psychological Association
Minnesota Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (MAMFT)
AIP— Italian Association of Psychology
Manitoba Psychological Society
Georgia Psychological Association
Vermont Psychological Association
Illinois Psychological Association
Delaware Psychological Association