New Research Finds Brain Clues Behind Mental Health Struggles in Trans Youth

Mental health is a growing concern for teens today. More young people report anxiety and depression than ever before. For transgender youth, the risks are even higher. One high school student wanted to find out why.

Charlotte Rosario, an 18-year-old from California, lost a family member to suicide in middle school. That loss pushed her to understand mental health from a scientific angle better. She joined a Stanford lab and began working with a team studying brain development in adolescents.

A Closer Look at the Brain

They had already collected brain scans and mental health surveys from dozens of kids. Some were cisgender. Others were transgender. All of them were just entering puberty. Charlotte dug into that data to find patterns that might explain the gap in mental health challenges.

Mart / Pexels / The surveys confirmed what other studies have found: Trans youth report higher levels of anxiety and depression than their cis peers.

But it wasn’t just the survey results that stood out. Their brain scans told a deeper story.

The Thalamus Connection

Charlotte focused on the thalamus, a part of the brain that helps control emotions and mood. She found that in trans boys, a larger thalamus was linked to higher levels of depression. That brain structure seems to connect directly to how they feel emotionally.

This link between brain shape and mental health could help explain why trans kids often face tougher emotional struggles. It also gives scientists new ways to think about how identity and biology work together.

There’s a Personal Drive Behind the Science

Charlotte’s study doesn’t claim to have all the answers. But it opens the door to better understanding the brain’s role in gender identity and mental health. And that kind of insight matters, especially when it comes to giving all young people the support they need.

For Charlotte, this project was personal. Seeing her friends struggle and remembering her own family’s loss gave her a reason to care deeply. She wanted to help – not just by listening but by researching, learning, and sharing real findings.

More Research and More Questions

RDNE / Pexels / Gender-affirming care helps trans youth experience puberty in a way that fits who they are. But scientists still have a lot to learn about what that care does to the brain long-term.

Charlotte hopes to keep researching as she heads into college. She’s especially excited to study the same group of teens as they get older. Her first project looked at them just as some were starting hormone therapy. Next, she wants to see how their brains change over time.

Charlotte believes the next round of scans could reveal more about how hormones interact with brain development and mental health.

Advice for Young Scientists

If you ask Charlotte for advice, she will tell you not to wait for a perfect idea. Start where you are. Follow your curiosity. For her, that meant facing hard memories and turning them into motivation. That choice helped her find something meaningful, both for herself and others.

Mental health is complex, especially in young people. It is shaped by how we think, how we feel, and even how our brains grow. Studies like Charlotte’s remind us that identity, biology, and experience are all connected. And understanding those links can lead to better support, better care, and better futures.