Gender dysphoria: Between taboo and reality in the skin of Moroccan youth (Case report)

Abstract

Trans-identity questions have become increasingly visible in recent years, supported in large part by the LGBTQI+ associative movements. In Moroccan society our young adolescents are also caught up in this identity questioning and are raising the silence on their reflections and sufferings. Although specialized consultations for the clinical evaluation and management of gender identity issues in children and adolescents have developed, the place of clinicians remains unclear. In Morocco, the societal issues raised by this clinic challenge the medical profession, which finds itself torn between its practice, its ethics of care and the cultural context. The purpose of our work is to lift the veil on the suffering of our young Moroccan adolescents confronted with their identity questioning reproached by Moroccan societal norms. In a first part we approach some definitions to clarify this thematic. Then, we approach the construction of the sexual identity, in particular according to the psychoanalytical model, as well as the place of the father in the construction of the gender identity in the child. A section is devoted to a clinical case study which highlights the complexity of the clinical presentation of the questioning of identity in our young Moroccans patients. Finally, in another paragraph, we will discuss the clinical situation of our patient in the light of what exists in the literature, as well as the main recommendations for intervention. In conclusion, trans-identity questions raise issues that we will be confronted with more and more in the future, with very specific issues in the mental health. In our clinical vignette, singularity is pathologized. It is up to us to review the place of the child psychiatrist and to invent an individualized care trajectory for our patients.