A new paper defies standard psychological claims and says that transgender people report few lifetime mental and physical health problems - if they are in in the military. For that reason, the authors advocate a change to the Obama administration's policy of excluding transgender persons from enlisting in the U.S. military, or discharging them based on the presumption that they are unfit to serve due to their mental or physical health.
They make their case in Transgender Health, DOI:10.1089/trgh.2015.0002.
The article "Fit to Serve? Exploring Mental and Physical Health and Well-Being Among Transgender Active-Duty Service Members and Veterans in the U.S. Military," presents data exploring lifetime mental and physical problems such as depression, anxiety, and substance abuse among active-duty service members and veterans in the U.S. military. Brandon Hill and Alida Bouris, University of Chicago, Joshua Trey Barnett, University of Utah (Salt Lake City), and Dayna Walker, Transgender American Veterans Association (Tampa, FL), conclude that the few mental and physical health problems reported by transgender active duty military personnel do not support the practice of barring them from open service. In fact, mental and physical problems were associated with age and years of military service.