Operationalising social transition in trans and gender diverse youth: a scoping review of definitions and measures.

Abstract

Social transition can be an important and accessible aspect of gender affirmation, allowing trans and gender diverse young people to authentically express their identities, including through adoption of chosen name, pronouns, and changes to appearance. These changes may take place in a single context, such as at home, or across multiple settings, including school, with friends, and online. Currently, it is unclear how this process is being captured in the literature, including whether it has been measured comprehensively and consistently. This scoping review (PROSPERO: CRD42022333058) explored how social transition has been defined and operationalised in studies involving trans young people (under 18), detailing practices (i.e. specific changes) of social transition and contexts where these changes occurred. Systematic searches were conducted in Embase, MEDLINE, and PsycInfo databases to August 2025. Studies were eligible if they included a definition and/or measure of social transition. Among 40 included studies, definitions (n = 37 studies) and measures (n = 29 studies) varied widely. Some studies did not distinguish between specific practices of social transition, such as changes to name, pronouns, or appearance, when defining (4/37) and measuring (6/29) the construct. However, many studies omitted reference to the contexts in which these practices occurred (19/37 definitions; 14/29 measures), assuming practices took place uniformly across all contexts. Many also relied on a binary measure of social transition (15/29 measures), failing to capture the diverse ways in which individuals enact their social transition. No measurement tools were used consistently. Current definitions and measures of social transition in research with trans and gender diverse young people are inconsistent and incomplete. As a result, they fail to capture the complex nature of social transition, limiting comparability between studies and hindering understanding of its complexities and impacts. Comprehensive, standardised measures to capture this concept are urgently required. There was no funding source for this study.