Opinions About the DSM Gender Identity Disorder Diagnosis: Results from an International Survey Administered to Organizations Concerned with the Welfare of Transgender People

ABSTRACT

A survey on various issues related to the DSM-IV-TR gender identity disorder diagnosis was conducted among 201 organizations concerned with the welfare of transgender people from North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, and Latin America. Forty-three organizations from all continents completed the survey. A majority of 55.8% believed the diagnosis should be excluded from the 2013 edition. The major reason for wanting to keep the diagnosis in the DSM was health care reimbursement. Regardless of whether groups were for or against the removal of the diagnosis, the survey revealed a broad consensus that if the diagnosis remains in the DSM, there needs to be an overhaul of the name, criteria, and language to minimize stigmatization of transgender individuals.

KEYWORDS:

• Transgender
• transsexualism
• gender identity disorder
• DSM-V

Notes

1.This article employs the word transgender as an umbrella term to refer to individuals whose gender identification, gender role, and/or gender expression do not align with those traditionally ascribed to their assigned sex. Individuals with gender identity disorder and transsexuals are included in this group. We acknowledge that there is substantial diversity within the “transgender” community, although such heterogeneity is not explicitly detailed in this article.