TESTING THE EFFECTS OF A SELF-AFFIRMATION WRITING INTERVENTION FOR SEXUAL AND GENDER MINORITY ADOLESCENTS

Sexual and gender minority adolescents (SGMA) are at higher risk for adverse psychological health outcomes compared to their cisgender and heterosexual peers (Marshal et al., 2011). This disparity is often explained by frameworks like the minority stress model and social safety theory (Brooks 1981; Meyer, 2003; Slavich, 2020). Effective, low-cost, and brief interventions are needed to address this inequity, yet there are few interventions that are empirically supported and accessible to SGMA. Researchers have emphasized the importance of affirming SGMA and their identities, but there are limited interventions that are both focused on identity affirmation and easily accessible. This pilot study investigated the feasibility and acceptability of a self-affirmation writing intervention for SGMA. This study also tested the efficacy of this self-affirmation intervention on improving mental health and wellbeing outcomes of SGMA. SGMA (N = 65) completed five consecutive days of a randomly assigned writing task condition (self-affirmation versus control), and daily diary measures for one week. Results from the feedback survey suggest that the intervention is both feasible and well received. The results also indicated that there were no differences in mental health outcomes between the experimental and control group, though the analyses were underpowered to detect any effects. The findings from this study may help expand the current literature of potential interventions available for SGMA struggling with mental health concerns.