Transgender health and welfare

Research by Dr Ian Burn on how health and socioeconomic outcomes of patients evolve as they are treated for gender dysphoria.

Background

The treatment of gender dysphoria is a hotly debated topic, yet there is little understanding of the health or socioeconomic outcomes of individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria. Medical diagnostic forms do not often consider outcomes from other aspects of life, such as employment. In this project, we work with a gender dysphoria treatment clinic in Sweden to help them understand the demographics and economic precarity of their patients.

Research

In the underlying research project, we explore how health and socioeconomic outcomes of patients evolve as they are treated for gender dysphoria. Using administrative data on health outcomes and taxes, we are writing four papers. The first examines how we identify transgender individuals in register data, illustrating the challenges and pitfalls facing researchers and policymakers when they use the data. The second examines the demographics of the transgender population in Sweden, with detailed analyses by county. The third and fourth examine how health outcomes and economic outcomes evolve as individuals are treated for gender dysphoria and change their legal gender.

Impact 

One element potential impact will be measured in the citations of this research in debates around treating gender dysphoria. The more direct elements of impact will examine how the gender dysphoria clinics and transgender advocacy groups use the data.

Dr Ian Burn

Dr Ian Burn

Back to: Management School