Is gender dysphoria a mental illness​? Gender anxiety is not a mental illness. Gender dysphoria is a strong feeling that a person's actual gender is different from the biological gender assigned at birth.

Prior to 2013, gender dysphoria was commonly referred to as "gender identity disorder," and due to their differences from "gender norms," anxiety sufferers faced significant challenges in achieving equality and social acceptance.

In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) acknowledged in its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders that gender dysphoria only becomes a medical condition when it actually affects a person's health or well-being, and renamed it "gender dysphoria".

Adults with gender dysphoria may feel uncomfortable due to being treated according to the gender assigned to them by society, and they may adopt behaviors, clothing, and behavior that they most identify with.

A study conducted by the Medical Research Institute in 2011 concluded that social exclusion of patients with gender dysphoria is having a destructive impact on their physical and mental health. For example, the study found that the incidence of drug abuse, attempted suicide, HIV infection and other medical problems among transgender and transgender people is far higher than that of the general population.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) prohibits any form of discrimination or harassment against individuals based on their gender identity (including transgender identity or sexual orientation) in the workplace. In addition, the US Department of Defense now allows transgender and lesbian/gay individuals to openly serve in various departments of the military.

More clinical studies are exploring technologies for transgender individuals seeking treatment, as well as methods to prevent discrimination and harassment.