Freud's psychosexual development theory
Explore personal and educational insights and scribblings from an English language teacher. Find thoughts on self-development, education, and child-rearing.
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Wednesday, September 14, 2022
Outlines of Psychological development theories
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
Gender Identity Disorder (GID) and Gender Reassignment (GR)
My understanding is that Gender Reassignment (GR) is the extreme form of Gender Identity Disorder (GID). De Vries et al. (2011) results indicate significant behavioral, emotional, and psychological improvements post GnRHa treatment. Both general performance on the global mood scale and body image improvements appear to stabilize after 3-6 months of GnRHa treatment, which argues for the robustness of this clinical effect. The same results also report stagnation in anxiety and anger levels, as well as gender dysphoria and body satisfaction. And though I know that correlation does not necessarily constitute causation, one could not help but correlate anxiety with gender dysphoria and the subsequent uncertainty and fear of the unknown and anger with the unsatisfactory body image.
Though, in my opinion, the results of a more recent follow up assessment on the subjects of the research would be helpful to formulate a more educated view on the subject, the evidence at hand suggests the effectiveness of the GnRha approach. particularly because not only are the effects of GnRHa treatment reversible but also because it provides extra time for contemplating whether GR measures are truly the ultimate treatent. Concerns have been raised about the risk of making the wrong treatment decisions, as gender identity could fluctuate during adolescence, adolescents in general might have poor decision-making abilities, and there are potential adverse effects on health and on psychological and psychosexual functioning." (de Vries et al., 2011)
In the second paper, the authors suggest that "early maturing females are at unique risk of persistent difficulty during adolescence and should be targeted for preventive efforts; late maturation among males may be associated with a late-onset pathway for deviant behavior or substance abuse" (Is Pubertal Timing Associated With Psychopathology in Young Adulthood?, 2010). And even though it seems strange to suggest that adolescent males should be targeted for preventive measures, the authors cite research showing that early maturation among males may be associated with late-onset of deviant behavior and/or substance abuse. On the other hand, different studies have found that early puberty in males was associated with higher levels of aggression, and delinquency, relative to late maturity.
The study's finding that early maturation among females and late maturation among males are both correlated with later-onset psychopathology suggests that early development as a predictor of later-onset disorder should be considered as an important target for intervention. My own take-away from this investigation is that such a correlation exists and that parents and educators should pick up on early physical and behavioral indicators of pubertal timing psychopathologies and GID.
Finally, there are large differences in when pubertal development begins among teenagers. According to a large body of research, changes in pubertal timing may have an impact on one's mental, social, and physical health (e.g., Mendle et al. 2007, Mendle and Ferrero 2012; Negriff and Susman 2011). Both genetic and environmental variables may affect pubertal development. (Stroud & Davila, 2016).
References
de Vries, A. L., Steensma, T. D., Doreleijers, T. A., & Cohen‐Kettenis, P. T. (2011). (PDF) Puberty Suppression in Adolescents With Gender Identity Disorder: A Prospective Follow-Up Study: Puberty Suppression in Adolescents With GID | Annelou de Vries - Academia.edu. (PDF) Puberty Suppression in Adolescents With Gender Identity Disorder: A Prospective Follow-Up Study: Puberty Suppression in Adolescents With GID | Annelou de Vries - Academia.Edu.
https://www.academia.edu/4322018/Puberty_Suppression_in_Adolescents_With_Gender_Identity_Disorder_A_Prospective_Follow_Up_Study_Puberty_Suppression_in_Adolescents_With_GIDIs Pubertal Timing Associated With Psychopathology in Young Adulthood? (2010, January 4). Is Pubertal Timing Associated With Psychopathology in Young Adulthood? - ScienceDirect.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0890856709613216Stroud, C. B., & Davila, J. (2016, January 1). Pubertal Timing | SpringerLink. Pubertal Timing | SpringerLink. https://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-3-319-32132-5_14-2
Jason Talley replying to Khaled Hassan
Re: DF2
You clearly have read and considered the material carefully. I agree that intervention might be needed for students dealing with puberty onset issues. What do you think would be a sign that a formal intervention is needed?
You are right to point out that correlation does not necessarily constitute causation. That is a simple, but important fact that people often overlook. I would even say that as teachers, no matter our subject, we should be sure to pass that reminder on to our students.
While this was a good piece on the whole, if I could offer a suggestion, a less abrupt conclusion would be a more academic way to conclude a post like this.
Thanks for sharing.