Is gender identity disorder in children a mental disorder?

Empirical studies were evaluated to determine whether Gender Identity Disor der (GID) in children meets the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4th Edition (DSM-IV, American Psychiatric Association, 1994) def initional criteria of mental disorder. Specifically, we examined whether GI D in children is associated with (a) present distress; (b) present disabili ty; (c) a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability , or an important loss of freedom; and if (d) GID represents dysfunction in the individual or is simply deviant behavior or a conflict between the ind ividual and society. The evaluation indicates that children who experience a sense of inappropriateness in the culturally prescribed gender role of th eir sex but do not experience discomfort with their biological sex should n ot be considered to have GID. Because of flaws in the DSM-IV definition of mental disorder, and limitations of the current research base, there is ins ufficient evidence to make any conclusive statement regarding children who experience discomfort with their biological sex. The concluding recommendat ion is that, given current knowledge, the diagnostic category of GID in chi ldren in its current form should not appear in future editions of the DSM.