Development and validation of a measure for assessing gender dysphoria in adults: The Gender Preoccupation and Stability Questionnaire

ABSTRACT

Available clinically useful questionnaires for people with gender dysphoria incorporate outdated binary male/female gender stereotypes. Moreover, no tools assess for gender dysphoria, a construct applicable to a gender-diverse population. This study's purpose was to develop and validate an instrument that overcame these shortcomings: the Gender Preoccupation and Stability Questionnaire (GPSQ). Method: The 14-item GPSQ was developed through consultation with patients with gender dysphoria and experts in the field. The scale was administered to three groups of participants: those seeking treatment for gender dysphoria and Control Groups 1 and 2 with no gender dysphoria.

Participants were also administered the Gender Dysphoria questionnaire (a 27-item scale wherein gender dysphoria was based on a bipolar dichotomous identity, which is at one pole male and at the other pole female, with varying degrees of gender dysphoria existing between them). Results: The GPSQ showed acceptable internal consistency (α = .90), known groups, and convergent validity. The scale's sensitivity and positive predictive power were 88% and 91%, respectively. Conclusion: The GPSQ was shown to be an effective, valid, reliable outcome tool to measure gender dysphoria. The tool is likely suitable to measure the effectiveness of a number of clinical interventions within this population.

KEYWORDS:

• Gender dysphoria
• gender identity
• gender preoccupation
• gender stability
• self-report

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge the assistance of Dr. Robert Lyons, Dr. Pat Toohey, Dr. Jessica Lightburn, and Dr. Roisin Devlin for their tireless assistance in recruiting participants for this study. We also thank the participants, who gave generously of their time.