A Rose by Any Other Name: Gender-Affi rming Care and Severe Mental Illness

The transgender population has higher rates of psychiatric disorders and stigma within medical settings. Literature suggests that gender-affi rm-ing care is the standard when working with such patients. There are limited studies regarding treating these pa-tients with severe mental illness (SMI). This article explores how to treat SMI that impacts patients' reality to the point where their assigned sex cannot be acknowledged. The case presented is that of a transgender woman, where clarification of her natal sex was cru-cial to treatment. The patient denied her natal sex, endorsing a history of miscarriage. Studies on treatment of transgender SMI patients are limited. Gender-affirming treatment is the stan-dard of care for these patients. Train-ing how to ask pertinent questions and communicate effectively is necessary to prevent misdiagnosis, unnecessary treatment, and agitation. [Psychiatr Ann. 2023;53(5):221-223.]