Empirically supported interventions for sexual and gender minority youth

Austin, A., & Craig, S. L. (2015). Empirically supported interventions for sexual and gender minority youth. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, 12(6), 567–578. https://doi.org/10.1080/15433714.2014.884958

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Highlights

Background

There is a need to adapt existing empirically supported treatments (ESTs) for use with diverse sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY).

Biases and challenges faced by SGMY require the integration of affirmative practices into ESTs to effectively address the needs of this underserved group of youth.

Study Description

• This article presents a stakeholder-driven model for developing an affirmative adapted version of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for use with diverse SGMY

• Our approach to adaptation followed the “adapt and evaluate” framework for enhancing cultural congruence of interventions for minority groups

• We used a community-based participatory research approach to develop the intervention from the ground up through the voices of the target community

• We conducted 3 focus groups with culturally diverse SGMY (n = 28) at 3 high schools in Miami, Florida, to explore youths’ cultural and SGM identities

• Focus group data was analyzed and integrated into an existing group-based CBT intervention

Key findings

The following themes emerged as critical to affirmative cognitive behavioral clinical practice with diverse SGMY:

(1) the interplay between cultural norms, gender norms, sexual orientation, and gender identity;

(2) the complex role of religious community within the lives of SGMY; and

(3) consideration of extended family and cultural community as youth navigate their SGM identities

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