(WITHDRAWN) Proud & Empowered: An Intervention for LGBTQ Adolescent Health

Background. Sexual and gender minority adolescents (SGMA) report higher rates of internalizing psychopathology, including depression, anxiety, self-harm, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The primary explanation for these mental health disparities is minority stress theory, which suggests that discrimination, violence, and victimization are key drivers of chronic minority stress and place SGMA at higher risk of mental health concerns. Despite evidence that minority stressors may lead to poorer health, there are currently no interventions that have been established as evidence-based through randomized control trial.

Method. During the Fall 2019 school year, we conducted a randomized control trial with four participating high schools. After schools were randomly assigned, participants were eligible and enrolled (n=46) in either the intervention or control condition. Measures were obtained at pre- and post-intervention to assess the impact that participation had on reporting of minority stress and mental health symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depression, PTSD, suicidality). Repeated measures ANOVAs were used to understand the relationship between pre- and post-tests, across the intervention conditions. Moderated analyses were used to assess whether the relationship between the SMASI sum score and each health outcome was dependent on the intervention condition.

Results. Repeated measures ANOVA showed a slight decrease in SMASI 30-day total score for those in the intervention condition between time 1 (M = 8.44, SD = 6.65) and time 2 (M = 7.59, SD = 7.13) and a slight increase for those in the control condition (time 1: M = 7.22, SD = 7.17; time 2: M = 8.29, SD = 7.68). Similar findings were found for five of the SMASI subscales, anxiety, and depression, though no analyses were statistically significant. There was a statistically significant interaction between SMASI and condition on PTSD (B = -1.28, p = .032), depression (B = -.79, p = .023), and suicidality (B = .14, p =.012), suggesting that the relationship between SMASI and these health outcomes significantly differed between the intervention and control condition.

Discussion. This study demonstrates evidence for the preliminary effectiveness of the Proud & Empowered intervention. These findings suggest that the intervention holds significant promise for reducing experiences of minority stress and behavioral health symptoms, and provides an approach to cope with experiences of minority stress in ways that protect against negative behavioral health outcomes.