A popular article claiming to show mental health benefits from &#8220;gender-affirming&#8221; care has been updated by the publisher after it was shown to contain distortions and misleading information.
Dr. Jack Turban, an activist researcher, published an <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/political-minds/202201/the-evidence-trans-youth-gender-affirming-medical-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">article</a> in Psychology Today in January of this year claiming that scientific studies demonstrate clear mental health benefits of &#8220;gender-affirming&#8221; care for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-insurance-data-reveals-shocking-number-of-minors-obtained-transgender-surgeries/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">trans-identifying youth</a>, for which he is a strong proponent. However, after a recent thorough <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/researcher-debunks-claim-trans-youths-mental-health-improves-with-gender-affirming-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fact-check</a> of the article by Manhattan Institute Fellow <a href="https://twitter.com/LeorSapir" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Leor Sapir</a>, the popular psychology website issued numerous updates. This came months after ignoring multiple attempts by experts to quietly address the inaccuracies.
&#8220;NOTE: This post was updated on October 11, 2022. In discussions of studies 5, 7, 8 and 10, the final sentence was appended to include further information about the study,&#8221; an addendum at the top of the Psychology Today article now reads.
Turban’s article, cited widely among trans activists to support medically transitioning gender dysphoric minors, references 16 studies that he claims demonstrate gender-affirming care “results in favorable mental health outcomes” for trans-identifying youth.
Despite being fresh out of his residency and having far less clinical experience than many other experts calling for a more cautious approach to managing gender dysphoria in youth, Turban is widely and frequently quoted by popular legacy media outlets, including the New York Times, as an authority on the topic.
When Sapir found that Turban&#8217;s claims of a causal link between “gender affirming” care and positive mental health outcomes were not supported by evidence, he published a rebuttal in <a href="https://www.realityslaststand.com/p/the-distortions-in-jack-turbans-psychology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reality’s Last Stand</a>, a popular Substack-based online magazine dedicated to the sex and gender debate. Sapir found that some of the studies commonly touted as evidence of the benefits of “gender affirming” care show no or even a negative association between hormones and mental health.
Sapir broke down the 16 studies Turban relied upon and showed how Turban oversold and/or misrepresented the strength of evidence and misled his readers into embracing the controversial “gender affirmation” protocol. Several of the studies were short-term follow-ups, which by definition cannot capture long-term feelings about medical transition.  
After the changes to the Psychology Today article were brought to his attention, Sapir took to Twitter to <a href="https://twitter.com/LeorSapir/status/1584857808742543360?s=20&amp;t=BPm76OBs6j3CIzl772Vqtw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">outline</a> the four new &#8220;corrections&#8221; and two &#8220;stealth edits&#8221; made to the report on Tuesday.
For the first update, regarding Turban’s interpretation of Kaltiala et al.&#8217;s 2020 study, Psychology Today included a quote from the study&#8217;s authors saying that hormones are &#8220;not enough to improve functioning and relieve psychiatric comorbidities among adolescents with gender dysphoria.&#8221; 
&#8220;As I mentioned in my fact-check, Kaltiala herself emphasized to me that their study should not be used to claim that hormones reduce suicidality,&#8221; said Sapir. &#8220;That is a stronger caveat than the one Turban now acknowledges.&#8221;
The second update, on van der Miesen et al.&#8217;s 2020 study, a note was added that the authors found no &#8220;direct evidence&#8221; of mental health benefits from puberty blockers. 
The third update, having to do with a 2020 study by Achille et al., now acknowledges that the &#8220;improvement&#8221; seen in patients only applied to male-to-female trans-identified youth and only to those who took puberty blockers. 
&#8220;As I pointed out, however, this group was 1/3 of the total cohort studied, and represents a minority of those referred for treatment these days,&#8221; said Sapir. &#8220;Why not mention this?&#8221;
A fourth update, which references Turban’s own research from 2020, now acknowledges that his study did not control for psychotherapy as a confounding variable. According to Sapir, this means that “it&#8217;s possible those who reported better mental health did so for reasons having little to do with getting hormones.&#8221;
Two &#8220;stealth edits&#8221; that Sapir noticed were in reference to a 2019 study by Allen et al. and a 2021 study by Carmichael et al. With respect to the former, Psychology Today added the sentence, &#8220;Of note, the adolescents also received psychotherapy.&#8221; Regarding the latter, a caveat regarding the study’s small sample size was removed.
&#8220;As I noted in my fact-check, Turban dismisses studies that found no improvement in mental health when they have low sample sizes, but includes studies with small (or even smaller!) sample sizes when they support his conclusion,&#8221; said Sapir. 
While Sapir noted that the updates Psychology Today made were a step in the right direction, he felt there were additional inaccuracies not addressed. Most notably, the subtitle, which Psychology Today chose not to alter, reads: &#8220;Research suggests gender-affirming medical care results in better mental health.&#8221;
&#8220;Which brings me to the biggest correction that should have, but didn&#8217;t, happen: Turban continues to say that 16 studies show, on the whole, that hormones &#8216;result in&#8217; better mental health. That&#8217;s very misleading causal language. At most, he should have said: &#8216;coincides with,'&#8221; said Sapir.
&#8220;The studies show no evidence of hormones being the cause of improved mental health, even with the often very short follow-up times,&#8221; Sapir told The Daily Wire. &#8220;This is significant because the risks of these interventions are serious and lifelong, and activists insist that minors can consent to them because without hormones they are at a high risk of suicide — a claim that has been debunked time and again but continues to shape public discussion of this issue.&#8221; 
This isn&#8217;t the first time that Psychology Today was contacted about Turban&#8217;s flawed article. Liberal writer and journalist, Lisa Selin Davis, twice emailed the Psychology Today editorial team in January, shortly after it was published. Davis told The Daily Wire that she attempted to correct its many flaws and encourage them to do a fact-check but was largely ignored. 
Psychology Today contributor <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/contributors/pamela-b-paresky-phd" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pamela Paresky</a> also recently contacted the editors about the misleading claims made in Turban&#8217;s article. Paresky told The Daily Wire that the editors were responsive and said they were &#8220;looking into it.&#8221;   
The WayBack machine, a popular website dedicated to archiving internet pages, has &#8220;<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20220000000000*/https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/political-minds/202201/the-evidence-trans-youth-gender-affirming-medical-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">excluded</a>&#8221; the Psychology Today article from its database, but an <a href="https://archive.ph/https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/political-minds/202201/the-evidence-trans-youth-gender-affirming-medical-care" target="_blank" rel="noopener">alternative source</a> displays snapshots of the original version.
Psychology Today did not respond to The Daily Wire&#8217;s request for comment in time for publication. 

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

Leading ‘Gender Affirming’ Psychiatrist’s Popular Article Updated After Fact-Check Reveals Misleading Claims

CONTINUE READING

‘Harry Potter’ Starlet Evanna Lynch Shows Support For Detransitioners

Lawsuit Alleges New York Trans Teacher ‘Forced’ 5th-Grader To Change Name, Pronouns

‘Detransition Awareness Day’ Event Poised To Yield Largest Turnout Yet

Detransitioner Takes First Legal Action In Spain Against Health Provider That Transitioned Her As A Minor

Kansas Senate Passes First Bill Defining ‘Woman’ As A Biological Female

Transsexuals Pen Letter Asking U.S.-Based Medical Organizations To Reject Ideology In Favor Of Evidence

News

Original

Health

Medical Research

Puberty blockers

Transgender

transgender surgery

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Evening Wire: Lebanon Ceasefire Begins & Murder-Suicide Rocks VA | 4.16.26

The Pendragon Cycle

Menu

— News —

Leading ‘Gender Affirming’ Psychiatrist’s Popular Article Updated After Fact-Check Reveals Misleading Claims