Development and Pilot Evaluation of an Online Mentoring Program to Prevent Adversities Among Trans and Other Gender Minority Youth

项目摘要 变性人和其他性别少数族裔青年(TGMY)关于精神健康问题比率的经验， 自残、酗酒和吸毒、性行为冒险以及暴力侵害和实施。少数应激 理论认为，同龄人和家庭的拒绝和内在化的变性人恐惧症预测有害的健康结果 TGMY，强调迫切需要确定有效的方案，防止心理和行为 TGMY中的健康问题。导师计划可能对TGMY特别有影响，因为 计划可能有助于减轻与同伴和家庭拒绝相关的不良后果，并促进自我 TGMY的接受度。然而，几乎没有专门针对TGMY的指导计划，而且那些确实是这样做的 没有经过严格的评估；通常需要监护人的许可；通常通过 社区组织，防止TGMY在美国农村地区受到高度耻辱 获取此类方案；很少包括以证据为基础的技能培养部分(例如，社交-情感 技能)。这一创新项目的目的是开发和完成一个时间的可行性和中试测试- 为TGMY(14至17岁)提供有限的同步团体电子健康指导和技能培养计划， 初步命名为Teen Connection Project(TCP)。预计TCP将包括七个90分钟的时间 会议由两名TGM成年人(他们也是导师)共同主持。TGMY将与一名TGM成人配对 基于共同的社会身份和兴趣的导师以及导师和被导师将共同参与 与其他导师和被辅导者一起参加每节课。导师将指导活动和讨论以促进 TGMY社交情绪技能习得。TCP会话将包括一对一的导师-辅导者分组讨论 会话。在开发阶段，研究人员将使用迭代过程来创建和完善 通过青年咨询委员会和专家咨询的持续反馈，提供技术合作伙伴计划材料 登船并进行和开放试点试验(n=10)。在试点评估阶段，研究人员将招募140名 通过社交媒体网站和LGBTQ+组织在美国各地随机分配TGMY到 干预条件(n=70)或等待名单控制条件(n=70)。使用类似的方法，招募20名TGM成人 来自美国各地的导师。研究人员将(1)评估该计划的可接受性和可行性，并 通过项目观察以及会后调查和离职访谈的研究程序 导师和被辅导者；(2)生成关于TCP在减少心理健康问题、自我保健方面的有效性的初步数据 TGMY之间的伤害、酒精和毒品使用、性冒险以及暴力受害和实施；以及 (3)审查包括青年在内的治疗改变机制(例如，提高社交--情绪技能，减少 少数人压力)和TGMY之间的关系(即，增加的结合)中介结果。TGMY将 完成基线调查以及即时和3个月的跟踪调查。这项研究是第一个随机对照试验 一项针对TGMY的指导计划，旨在预防心理社会和行为健康问题。

Project Summary Transgender and other gender minority youth (TGMY) experience concerning rates of mental health problems, self-harm, alcohol and drug use, sexual risk-taking, and violence victimization and perpetration. Minority stress theory states that peer and family rejection and internalized transphobia predict deleterious health outcomes in TGMY, underscoring the urgent need to identify effective programs that prevent psychosocial and behavioral health issues among TGMY. Mentoring programs may be especially impactful for TGMY, given that these programs may help alleviate adverse outcomes associated with peer and family rejection and promote self- acceptance among TGMY. However, few mentoring programs exist specifically for TGMY, and those that do have not been rigorously evaluated; often require guardian permission; generally occur in person via community organizations which precludes TGMY in high stigma, rural areas of the United States from accessing such programs; and rarely include evidence-based skill-building components (e.g., social-emotional skills). The purpose of this innovative project is to develop and complete feasibility and pilot testing of a time- limited synchronous group-delivered eHealth mentoring and skill-building program for TGMY (ages 14 to 17), preliminarily entitled the Teen Connection Project (TCP). The TCP is expected to include seven 90-minute sessions co-facilitated by two TGM adults (who are also mentors). TGMY will be paired with a TGM adult mentor based on shared social identities and interests, and mentors and mentees will participate together in each session along with other mentors and mentees. Mentors will direct activities and discussion to promote TGMY social-emotional skills acquisition. The TCP sessions will include one-on-one mentor-mentee break-out sessions. During the development phase, researchers will use an iterative process to create and refine the TCP program materials through ongoing feedback from both a Youth Advisory Board and Expert Advisory Board and conduct and open pilot trial (n=10). During the pilot evaluation phase, researchers will recruit 140 TGMY across the U.S. via social media sites and LGBTQ+ organizations and randomly assign TGMY to the intervention condition (n=70) or wait-list control condition (n=70). Using similar methods, recruit 20 TGM adult mentors from across the U.S. The researchers will (1) assess acceptability and feasibility of the program and research procedures via program observations as well as post-session surveys and exit interviews with both mentor and mentees; (2) generate initial data on the TCP’s efficacy in reducing mental health problems, self- harm, alcohol and drug use, sexual risk-taking, and violence victimization and perpetration among TGMY; and (3) examine treatment change mechanisms, including youth (e.g., increased social-emotional skills, reduced minority stress) and relationship (i.e., increased bonding) intermediary outcomes among TGMY. TGMY will complete a baseline survey and immediate and 3-month follow-up surveys. This study represents the first RCT of a TGMY-specific mentoring program developed to prevent psychosocial and behavioral health issues.