British study finds children citing distress over gender dysphoria rose 50-fold
By Don Jacobson
L.A. Pride parade participants walk along Hollywood Boulevard in 2023. On Friday, British researchers reported that the number of children telling primary care doctors about psychological stress over gender identity issues jumped 50-fold during a 10-year span ending in 2021. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
Jan. 24 (UPI) -- The prevalence of gender dysphoria, generally described as psychological distress caused by a mismatch between birth sex and gender identity, likely rose 50-fold among children during a 10-year span, British researchers said Friday.
The sharp rise in such cases was noted by investigators who analyzed primary care data in England and Wales between 2011 and 2021 and published their study online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Analysis of the data showed that, between 2011 and 2021, incidence rates of recorded gender dysphoria rose from 0.14 per 10,000 to 4.4 per 10,000 person years among children under age 18, while the overall prevalence rose from 0.16 per 10,000 person years in 2011 to 8.3 per 10,000 in 2021.
If this pattern were repeated nationally, it would mean more than 10,000 English and Welsh children had a diagnosis of gender dysphoria in 2021, equivalent to 1 in 1,200, compared with under 200 cases in 2011, equivalent to 1 in 60,000 -- a 50-fold increase.
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The researchers also found that from 2015 to 2021, the numbers of cases rose more rapidly among females than those recorded as male by their family doctors, and were around twice as high by 2021.
The findings marked the first time that a study of gender dysphoria was based on primary care records rather than among the small numbers patients attending specialist services.
While the overall numbers of children reporting gender dysphoria remained relatively low at fewer than 1 in 200 17-to-18-year-olds, a second and concurrent study determined that their levels of anxiety, depression, and self harm are high and that accessing timely care is difficult for them.
"Levels of observed anxiety and depression have been increasing in children and young people in general over the last two decades for complex and contested reasons, challenging health, education and social services, and those experiencing gender dysphoria/incongruence are at particular risk," note the researchers.
The situation has resulted in "an urgent need to tackle vulnerability to mental health difficulties and improve mental health support for children and young people experiencing gender dysphoria/ incongruence," they added. "Primary care services require support and guidance to ensure effective coordination of care for children and young people with multiple complex needs."
The report was published six weeks after Britain indefinitely banned the use of puberty blocker medication by minors following a landmark report known as the Cass Review published in April that cited evidence supporting the safety of the medical practice was "remarkably weak" and that more research was needed.
The study published Friday was commissioned and funded by Britain's National Health Service to inform the Cass Review's examination of gender identity services for children and young people.
How the subject is approached in schools has to be studied. IMHO, most schools teach transgenderism as normal behaviour when it is obviously a mental illness. No wonder kids are confused and anxious.
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Majority of Dutch citizens support social media ban for children under 16
A majority of Dutch citizens now support banning social media use for children under the age of 16, according to the Nationaal Social Media Onderzoek 2025, the largest study on social media trends in the Netherlands. The research found that 57 percent of respondents favor raising the minimum age from 13 to 16.
Neil van der Veer, director of research firm Newcom, which conducted the study, described a "fundamental shift" in attitudes toward social media use among children under 16. “The Dutch public recognizes that young teens are not equipped to handle the harmful consequences of endless scrolling,” Van der Veer said. “This is not just a perception; our data shows a direct link between increased social media use and declining happiness.”
Support for the ban spans nearly all age groups except Generation Z, which includes individuals aged 15 to 28. Opponents of the proposed restriction argue that social media can teach young users valuable skills and that banning access would hinder their ability to safely navigate a digital world.
Proponents of the higher age limit contend that young teenagers are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of social media, including exposure to inappropriate content and the pressure to maintain an online presence. Advocates also point to improved academic performance and reduced stress when children are less engaged with digital platforms.
The push for restrictions follows a recent decision to ban mobile phones from Dutch secondary school classrooms, which took effect at the start of last year.
The research found that 6.9 million Dutch citizens believe social media poses a threat to mental health, up from 6.3 million in 2024. Meanwhile, 2.4 million users reported feeling less happy due to social media use, compared to 2.2 million last year.
Approximately 5.2 million people aged 15 and older are actively trying to reduce their time on apps.
Despite growing concerns, overall social media use in the Netherlands remains high. However, Dutch users are becoming increasingly selective about the platforms they engage with.
The most significant decline was seen on X, formerly known as Twitter. The platform lost 450,000 users in 2024, a 14 percent drop attributed to its negative atmosphere and issues with misinformation following its acquisition by Elon Musk in 2022.
By 'misinformation' they mean that X is not subject to the acceptable narrative of mainstream media and other far-left-leaning social media platforms.
X is the only major media source where the truth is written. Europe is far from ready to hear the truth, it appears.
The decline in the Netherlands outpaced the global trend, where X saw a 5 percent reduction in users and lost 33 million accounts over the past two years.
Threads, a competing platform, gained 270,000 Dutch users during the same period.
BeReal, a platform that encourages users to post one unfiltered photo daily, also saw its popularity among teens and young adults plummet. The app lost 600,000 users in the Netherlands last year, compounding losses from the previous year.
However, Van der Veer noted that reducing overall social media use remains a challenge. “Some trends are simply unstoppable. Learning to adapt is more effective than trying to resist them,” he said.
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