Improving Self-Help E-Therapy for Depression and Anxiety Among Sexual Minorities: An Analysis of Focus Groups With Lesbians and Gay Men

Rozbroj, Tomas; Lyons, Anthony; Pitts, Marian; Mitchell, Anne; Christensen, Helen

doi:10.2196/jmir.4013

Cited by 12 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Although general mindfulness training may be useful, gay men and other sexual minorities have expressed a need for therapeutic programs that address specific experiences related to having a minority sexual orientation (Rozbroj, Lyons, Pitts, Mitchell, & Christensen, 2015). Thus, programs that are tailored to gay men may also be worth considering.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mindfulness attenuates the impact of discrimination on the mental health of middle-aged and older gay men.

Lyons¹

2016

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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Rates of depression and anxiety are disproportionately high among gay men in part because of the impact of stigma and discrimination. Mindfulness is known to prevent stressful reactions to challenging life events. This study examined whether higher levels of dispositional mindfulness attenuated the impact of sexuality-and age-related discrimination on the mental health and self-esteem of middle-aged and older gay men. A total of 369 gay-identified men aged 40 years and older participated in a national community-based survey in Australia. Measures included the K10 Psychological Distress Scale for mental health, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and a short-form Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale. Gay men who reported experiences of sexuality-and age-related discrimination in the past 2 years were more likely to be psychologically distressed and to have lower self-esteem than those who reported no such experiences. However, in a series of hierarchical regressions, those who had experienced either of these types of discrimination were no more likely to be psychologically distressed or to have lower self-esteem if they reported high levels of dispositional mindfulness. Mindfulness appears to attenuate the mental health impact of sexuality-and age-related discrimination among middle-aged and older gay men. Providing mindfulness training in clinical and community settings could be considered as 1 way of assisting this vulnerable group to cope with the impact of stigma and discrimination.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mindfulness attenuates the impact of discrimination on the mental health of middle-aged and older gay men.

Lyons¹

2016

Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity

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“…Over the past decade there has been a rapid increase in the numbers of available programmes, many of which are free and operate either on the web or as apps on smart phones (Christensen et al, 2010). There is now substantial evidence for improvements in psychological health in response to some Internet self-help programmes (Bell et al, 2012;Cowpertwait & Clarke, 2013;Richards & Richardson, 2012), but there are no programmes currently available that suffi ciently take into account issues faced by lesbians and gay men or that provide resilience training within these populations (Rozbroj et al, , 2015. Whether delivered in face-to-face therapy, online, or through support or education programmes, resilience-building initiatives are needed for making a practical real world difference to the lives of lesbians and gay men.…”

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Resilience in lesbians and gay men: A review and key findings from a nationwide Australian survey

Lyons

2015

International Review of Psychiatry

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Rates of depression and anxiety are disproportionately high among lesbians and gay men, and stigma-related stress is thought to be a major factor. While reducing stigma remains a priority, developing ways to assist lesbians and gay men to build resilience to stigma-related stress is also a growing priority among policymakers and health professionals. This article summarizes major conceptual work and research on resilience among lesbians and gay men, including key findings from a nationwide online survey involving 2,793 Australian lesbians and gay men aged 16 years and older that examined demographic and psychosocial factors related to resilience. Research on resilience in gay and lesbian populations is currently a small field but appears to be growing. As recommended in this article, further work is needed to identify circumstances in which lesbians and gay men display resilience to stigma-related stress and to systematically test resilience training programmes that help to prevent depression and anxiety in these at-risk populations.

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“…These barriers can be partly overcome when using internet based support [ 17 ]. Recent research from our own team demonstrates that mental health interventions need to be tailored to be appropriate for LGB people, as existing interventions are often viewed as not appropriate, relevant, or inclusive of LGB individuals [ 18 , 19 ]. Our team have also identified preferences that LGB young adults have regarding delivery and content of interventions to enhance efficacy [ 18 , 19 ], and recently published the world’s first set of guidelines for tailoring therapy to the needs of LGB people [ 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A tailored compassion-focused therapy program for sexual minority young adults with depressive symotomatology: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

et al. 2017

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BackgroundLesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) men and women represent one of the highest-risk populations for depressive symptomatology and disorders, with young LGB adults being at greatest risk. To date, there have been no randomized controlled trials (RCT) to specifically target depressive symptoms in young LGB adults. This is despite research highlighting unique predictors of depressive symptomatology in this population. Here we outline a protocol for an RCT that will test the preliminary efficacy of a tailored compassion-focused therapy (CFT) intervention for young LGB adults compared with a self-directed cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program with no specific tailoring for LGB individuals.MethodsThe CFT intervention consists of 8 units with self-directed reading and activities tailored to LGB young adults, and 8 x weekly 1-hour consultations with a therapist. The CBT intervention consists of 8 units with self-guided reading and activities, with 1 x 1-hour session with a therapist at the mid-point of therapy. Fifty LGB individuals with scores of 13 or above on the Beck Depression Inventory-II will be randomized to either the CFT or CBT condition. The primary outcome measure is depressive symptomatology. Secondary outcome measures are symptoms of anxiety, suicidal ideation, internalized homophobia, self-compassion, and shame and guilt proneness. Assessments will occur at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and at 3-month post-intervention.DiscussionThis study is an RCT to test the preliminary efficacy of an LGB-tailored compassion-focused intervention for young LGB adults with depressive symptomatology. If this intervention is efficacious, this could begin to address the substantial mental health disparities amongst sexual minorities.Trial registration ACTRN12616001018404. Prospective registration, registered 02/08/2016.

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Improving Self-Help E-Therapy for Depression and Anxiety Among Sexual Minorities: An Analysis of Focus Groups With Lesbians and Gay Men

Cited by 12 publications

References 30 publications

Mindfulness attenuates the impact of discrimination on the mental health of middle-aged and older gay men.

Mindfulness attenuates the impact of discrimination on the mental health of middle-aged and older gay men.

Resilience in lesbians and gay men: A review and key findings from a nationwide Australian survey

A tailored compassion-focused therapy program for sexual minority young adults with depressive symotomatology: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

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