@joelle the study suggests that the mental approval process is beneficial, because there is a low regret rate. They say:
> We believe this study corroborates the improvements made in regard to selection criteria for GAS.
So the low regret rate is the effect of the selection criteria.
One can discuss about how to determine if the selection filter is too much stringent, but not that it is not useful.
@mzan We see basically no change in regret between the incredibly difficult standards imposed on trans people in the 50s and 60s and the current standards which are much looser.
We've known trans people present the story the gatekeepers want to hear, to access medical care. That was true in the 1950s and is true now. Yet despite this, the regret rate remains nearly zero.
I'm also unaware of any studies actually looking at whether gatekeeping lowers regret (Bostos, et al, 2021 didn't).