On being (not so) different

Perceptions of gender dysphoria and neurodiversity among people aged 15–35 in Sweden

Bibliographic Data

ID13076258
AuthorsFatih Özel (Uppsala University, corresponding author), G Griffin (0000-0002-1236-4691, Uppsala University)
Year2025
Volume10
Pages1610206-1610206
Publication date2025-08-29
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueFrontiers in Sociology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 2297-7775 • E-ISSN: 2297-7775
PublisherFrontiers Media (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3389/fsoc.2025.1610206
PMID40949885
OpenAlexW4413803610
LanguageEN
References cited69

There has been an increase in the number of people experiencing gender dysphoria and neurodiversity over the last decade. Medical studies employing quantitative methodologies consistently report a high co-occurrence of gender diversity and neurodiversity. Simultaneously various sociocultural views have been proposed to understand these conditions together. Still, there is limited evidence on how this co-occurrence is experienced by individuals with gender dysphoria. This article aims to investigate how gender dysphoria and neurodivergent conditions, specifically autism, are articulated and perceived by people aged 15-35 experiencing gender dysphoria in Sweden. Sixteen semi-structured interviews, conducted between August 2023 and March 2024, were analyzed using thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's approach. According to the themes identified in our data, the participants recognized themselves as divergent, with some suspecting that they might be neurodivergent. They were also familiar with the commonly reported co-occurrence of gender diversity and neurodiversity. Lastly, our participants discussed the intersectional relation between gender diversity and neurodiversity predominantly as a social rather than a clinical phenomenon, with neurodiversity in some instances seen as facilitating gender diversity. Our findings may reflect a newly emerging perspective on how the co-existence of gender diversity and neurodiversity is interpreted by those experiencing gender dysphoria

Developmental psychology · Diversity (politics · Dysphoria · Gender dysphoria · Gender identity · Perception · Perspective (graphical · Psychiatry · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Thematic analysis · Anthropology · Early Childhood Education and Development · Gender Roles and Identity Studies · Psychology · Sex and Gender in Healthcare · Social Psychology

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