TY - JOUR
T1 - Affirm online
T2 - Utilising an affirmative cognitive–behavioural digital intervention to improve mental health, access, and engagement among LGBTQA+ youth and young adults
AU - Craig, Shelley L.
AU - Leung, Vivian W.Y.
AU - Pascoe, Rachael
AU - Pang, Nelson
AU - Iacono, Gio
AU - Austin, Ashley
AU - Dillon, Frank
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding: This research was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Can‐ ada, grant number 895‐2018‐1000 and by the Public Health Agency of Canada, grant number 1718‐ HQ‐000697. S.L.C. receives salary support from a Canada Research Chair.
Funding Information:
This research was funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, grant number 895?2018?1000 and by the Public Health Agency of Canada, grant number 1718? HQ?000697. S.L.C. receives salary support from a Canada Research Chair. Thank you to Cheryl Dobinson and Planned Parenthood Toronto, as well as our inspired clinical facilitators and the amazing youth and young adults that participated.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
PY - 2021/2/2
Y1 - 2021/2/2
N2 - Digital mental health interventions may enable access to care for LGBTQA+ youth and young adults that face significant threats to their wellbeing. This study describes the preliminary efficacy of AFFIRM Online, an eight‐session manualised affirmative cognitive behavioural group intervention delivered synchronously. Participants (Mage = 21.17; SD = 4.52) had a range of sexual (e.g., queer, lesbian, pansexual) and gender (e.g., non‐binary, transgender, cisgender woman) iden-tities. Compared to a waitlist control (n = 50), AFFIRM Online participants (n = 46) experienced significantly reduced depression (b = −5.30, p = 0.005, d = 0.60) and improved appraisal of stress as a challenge (b = 0.51, p = 0.005, d = 0.60) and having the resources to meet those challenges (b = 0.27, p = 0.059, d = 0.39) as well active coping (b = 0.36, p = 0.012, d = 0.54), emotional support (b = 0.38, p = 0.017, d = 0.51), instrumental support (b = 0.58, p < 0.001, d = 0.77), positive framing (b = 0.34, p = 0.046, d = 0.42), and planning (b = 0.41, p = 0.024, d = 0.49). Participants reported high acceptability. This study highlights the potential of digital interventions to impact LGBTQA+ youth mental health and explores the feasibility of digital mental health to support access and engagement of youth with a range of identities and needs (e.g., pandemic, lack of transportation, rural locations). Findings have implications for the design and delivery of digital interventions for marginalised youth and young adults.
AB - Digital mental health interventions may enable access to care for LGBTQA+ youth and young adults that face significant threats to their wellbeing. This study describes the preliminary efficacy of AFFIRM Online, an eight‐session manualised affirmative cognitive behavioural group intervention delivered synchronously. Participants (Mage = 21.17; SD = 4.52) had a range of sexual (e.g., queer, lesbian, pansexual) and gender (e.g., non‐binary, transgender, cisgender woman) iden-tities. Compared to a waitlist control (n = 50), AFFIRM Online participants (n = 46) experienced significantly reduced depression (b = −5.30, p = 0.005, d = 0.60) and improved appraisal of stress as a challenge (b = 0.51, p = 0.005, d = 0.60) and having the resources to meet those challenges (b = 0.27, p = 0.059, d = 0.39) as well active coping (b = 0.36, p = 0.012, d = 0.54), emotional support (b = 0.38, p = 0.017, d = 0.51), instrumental support (b = 0.58, p < 0.001, d = 0.77), positive framing (b = 0.34, p = 0.046, d = 0.42), and planning (b = 0.41, p = 0.024, d = 0.49). Participants reported high acceptability. This study highlights the potential of digital interventions to impact LGBTQA+ youth mental health and explores the feasibility of digital mental health to support access and engagement of youth with a range of identities and needs (e.g., pandemic, lack of transportation, rural locations). Findings have implications for the design and delivery of digital interventions for marginalised youth and young adults.
KW - Cognitive–behavioural
KW - Digital mental health
KW - Intervention
KW - LGBTQA+
KW - Mental health
KW - Online adaptation
KW - Sexual and gender minorities
KW - Technology‐mediated
KW - Youth
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85100494059&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3390/ijerph18041541
DO - 10.3390/ijerph18041541
M3 - Article
C2 - 33562876
AN - SCOPUS:85100494059
SN - 1661-7827
VL - 18
SP - 1
EP - 18
JO - International journal of environmental research and public health
JF - International journal of environmental research and public health
IS - 4
M1 - 1541
ER -