Littman 2018 — Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria

Lisa Littman, then affiliated with the Brown University School of Public Health, published a study in PLOS ONE in 2018 based on an online survey of 256 parents who reported that their adolescent child had suddenly developed gender dysphoria, often in friendship groups where multiple children came out at the same time.

More on this site: Littman, L. (2018) — Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria (PLOS ONE) and Lisa Littman.

Research

Lisa Littman, then affiliated with the Brown University School of Public Health, published a study in PLOS ONE in 2018 based on an online survey of 256 parents who reported that their adolescent child had suddenly developed gender dysphoria, often in friendship groups where multiple children came out at the same time.

The term ROGD

Littman introduced the term 'Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria' (ROGD). The study suggested a role for social influence and peer contagion in the development of dysphoria during adolescence.

Criticism and correction

The article faced strong criticism because of its recruitment method (through parent communities critical of transition) and selection bias. In 2019, PLOS ONE published a correction explicitly acknowledging the limitations, but retained the publication. An extensive discussion of the methodology and reception can be found at transgenderidentiteit.nl.

Status

Professional organizations such as WPATH and the American Academy of Pediatrics do not recognize ROGD as a diagnostic entity. However, the concept remains the subject of scientific and clinical debate, partly in light of the sharp increase in adolescent referrals since 2010.

Figures from the study

The parents were recruited through three websites where parents of young people with gender dysphoria connected with one another, including 4thWaveNow and Transgender Trend. More than eight in ten of the children described were girls, with an average age of sixteen. According to the parents, more than sixty percent had already received a psychiatric diagnosis or had a developmental disorder before the onset of gender dysphoria. Many parents reported that their child had spent more time on social media shortly before coming out.

Aftermath

Brown University removed the press release about the study from its website shortly after publication, leading to a debate about academic freedom. In 2021, Littman published a second study involving one hundred people who had reversed their transition. A later study by other researchers into the same phenomenon was withdrawn by the publisher in 2023 because of concerns about the consent procedure. In 2026, Kenneth Zucker argued for recognizing the pattern as a distinct clinical presentation. More about the concept itself can be found under rapid-onset gender dysphoria and in the timeline.

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