Lisa Littman published this paper in the journal Plos.ONE in August 2018 https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0202330
Lisa Littman, an American physician and researcher. Her research interests relate to reproductive health, gender dysphoria, detransition, and maternal and child health including prematurity and the use of substances in pregnancy. Littman joined the faculty of the Brown University School of Public Health in 2018 as Assistant Professor of the Practice in Behavioral and Social Sciences.
Littman became interested in the possible role of “social contagion” in gender dysphoria among young people, and conducted a study by surveying around 250 parents recruited from three websites where she had seen parents describe sudden gender transitions in their adolescence.
During the recruitment phase of her survey, Lisa Littman first used the phrase ‘Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria’ (ROGD).
Littman’s study described cases of a rapid onset of gender dysphoria based on reports by the surveyed parents, along with information that was collected about the children’s peer group dynamics, social media use, and prior mental health issues. Littman speculated that rapid onset of gender dysphoria could be a “social coping mechanism” for other disorders, such as depression and anxiety caused by adolescent trauma.
The general consensus in academia is that Littman’s findings demand further research.
It is our view that this research cannot be conducted soon enough.
