Debate: Standing up for science – how to combat misinformation in child mental health? Evidence and ideology in gender dysphoria research

This paper examines the hostile public debate surrounding children experiencing gender dysphoria and its impact on research. In recent years, this field has become entangled in wider ideological conflicts, inflamed by online discourse and diverging views on sex and gender. As the number of children presenting with gender dysphoria rose through the 2010s, concerns were raised regarding the appropriateness of treatments and the quality of supporting research. The Cass Review and responses to it exposed weaknesses in the evidence base and revealed how politicisation has influenced clinical practice, discouraged open inquiry, fuelled personal attacks on researchers and shaped publication decisions. These dynamics have impeded robust research and fostered mistrust between clinicians, researchers and advocates. This paper argues that safeguarding children's welfare requires a renewed commitment to impartial, methodologically rigorous research and responsible editorial oversight. Without this, ideological partisanship will continue to undermine scientific credibility and entrench uncertainty, perpetuating harm to affected children and their families.