Brief online interventions for LGBTQ young adult mental and behavioral health: A randomized controlled trial in a high-stigma, low-resource context
| Autor: | Kriti Behari, Sarah A. Job, Stacey L. Williams, John E. Pachankis, Stephenie R. Chaudoir, Erin M. McConocha |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male Social Stigma education Psychological intervention Behavioral Symptoms Article Sexual and Gender Minorities Young Adult medicine Humans Young adult Poverty Suicidal ideation medicine.disease Tennessee Mental health Minority stress Psychotherapy Substance abuse Sexual minority Psychiatry and Mental health Clinical Psychology Distress Female medicine.symptom Psychology Internet-Based Intervention Clinical psychology |
| Zdroj: | J Consult Clin Psychol |
| ISSN: | 1939-2117 0022-006X |
| Popis: | OBJECTIVE: To identify scalable interventions for improving sexual minority mental health and health-risk behavior, this study tested the efficacy of two self-guided online writing interventions – expressive writing and self-affirmation. To reach sexual minority young adults living in high-stigma, low-resource settings, we developed and tested these interventions in Appalachian Tennessee. METHOD: In consultation with sexual minority young adults (n=10) and stakeholders (n=10) living in Appalachian Tennessee, we adapted two writing interventions that we then delivered to 108 local sexual minority young adults (M(age)=23.68, SD=3.11). Participants, representing diverse sexual and gender identities and socioeconomic backgrounds, were randomly assigned to participate in a 3-session expressive writing intervention, self-affirmation intervention, or neutral control. Participants completed mental health and health-risk behavior measures at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. RESULTS: Compared to the neutral control, expressive writing exerted 3-month improvements in depressive symptoms (d=0.48) and general psychological distress (d=0.36) whereas self-affirmation exerted improvement in suicidal ideation (d=0.62) and drug abuse (d=0.59). Participants who were exposed to greater contextual minority stressors common in rural regions (i.e., discrimination, victimization) experienced significantly greater 3-month reductions in depression from expressive writing and self-affirmation compared to control. Those who experienced greater discrimination also experienced significantly greater 3-month reductions in suicidality from self-affirmation compared to control. CONCLUSIONS: Brief writing interventions exert significant impact on the mental health of young adult sexual minorities, especially those exposed to minority stress. Future research can consider strategies for population-level implementation, especially in high-stigma, low-resource settings. PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE: This study responds to the pressing need for efficacious interventions to improve sexual minority young adult mental health and health-risk behavior. We find evidence that two brief online writing interventions – expressive writing and self-affirmation – can be tailored to meet the needs of geographically dispersed sexual minority young adults and significantly improve their mental health. Results notably provide among the first randomized controlled trial evidence for an intervention capable of reducing suicidality among sexual minorities exposed to high degrees of minority stress. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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