Dr Simone Mahfouda
Award for Excellent PhD Thesis in Psychology

Award type: Science

Worldwide, there has been a surge over the last decade in referrals to specialised child and adolescent gender clinics, yet there were substantial gaps in the understanding of gender identity and how best to support the needs this population.

Dr Mahfouda’s dissertation includes two reviews published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. One provided the first review of evidence on the cognitive, physical and surgical implications of puberty suppression in gender-incongruent children and adolescents (awarded the Telethon Kids Institute Louisa Alessandri Memorial Fund Scientific Publication Prize, 2017).

Similarly novel, the subsequent Lancet article reviewed evidence on gender-affirming hormonal and surgical interventions trans children and adolescents, with coverage of mental health, cognitive and physical effects, as well as side-effects (awarded the UWA Best Publication Prize in Clinical Medicine and Dentistry, 2019). Both reviews provide extensive recommendations for future research priorities.

Two additional studies in the dissertation addressed the mental health correlates and outcomes of gender non-conformity for children and adolescents. These studies document the extensive mental health difficulties extending into adulthood for children and adolescents who identify as gender non-confirming (published in Psychological Medicine, 2023), with these difficulties compounded for individuals on the autism spectrum (published in Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2019).

Sign In to connect with me on PsyCommunity