Evaluating the Feasibility and Acceptability of Mindful Self-Compassion Among Gender Minority Young Adults

项目总结 性别少数民族青年(GMYA；18-25岁)，他们的性别与分配的性别不同 出生时的性行为比那些性别一致的人患抑郁和焦虑的风险高3-4倍 他们出生时的指定性别(即顺性别)。性别少数民族压力的积累(GM压力)，应激 与性别认同和/或表达有关的污名是造成这种差异的一个被认为的原因。Gm应力 可以内化，羞耻感和重复的想法(沉思)可以使心理健康 更糟。尽管已知转基因压力、心理健康、羞耻感和沉思之间的联系，但很少有人 已有干预措施解决GMYA中的转基因压力问题。自我同情，用善意对待自己，而不是 在痛苦或困难的时候进行自我批评，已被确定为缓解通用汽车压力的有效策略 转基因人，这是一种可以加强的特质。有意识的自我同情(MSC)，为期8周的干预， 结合正念和自我同情技巧是增加自我同情的一种方式。然而，MSC已经 尚未接受GYMA测试，目前尚不清楚性别焦虑症(因身体原因引起的痛苦)是否 身份匹配)可能会使完全参与基于身体的练习变得困难。我的长期研究目标 是通过识别和干预可修改的风险和 使用社区参与、创伤知情干预的保护性因素。当前项目的基础是 我先前对GMYA心理健康状况的横断面研究 对新人口的干预。这项建议的目标是获得培训和认证，作为 理科硕士教师以及创伤见闻正念和具体化练习、干预方面的其他技能 科学(实施、评估和适应)、高级数据分析和社区参与 研究。在导师的指导下，我将追求以下具体目标：1)评估 为期8周的MSC干预和数据收集计划(前、后、3个月随访)，连续5次 GMYA组，2)评估GMYA对MSC干预活动的可用性，并确定 MSC活动需要为GMYA量身定做，3)探索GMYA干预前、干预后和3个月 追踪检查羞耻、沉思、自我同情、抑郁和焦虑是否敏感 去改变。该项目的目标与NCCIH对心身干预的兴趣一致 减少性和性别少数人群的压力、焦虑和抑郁(非MD-22-012)， 目的促进健康促进、复原力和症状管理的科学研究(Obj.3)，以及 致力于与不同的人群和不同的科学工作者进行研究(Obj.4)。在.之下 在人口、方法、途径方面的专家导师的指导，并具有深厚的研究历史 资金-拟议的项目将为我提供独立进行严格操作所需的技能 补充和综合健康研究，以改善GMYA的心理健康和福祉。

PROJECT SUMMARY Gender minority young adults (GMYA; 18-25 years old), who have a gender that is different than their assigned sex at birth, have 3-4 times greater risk of depression and anxiety than those whose gender is congruent with their assigned sex at birth (i.e., cisgender). The accumulation of gender minority stress (GM stress), stress due to stigma related to one’s gender identity and/or expression is one proposed cause of this disparity. GM stress can become internalized, and feelings of shame and repetitive thoughts (rumination) can make mental health worse. Despite the known associations between GM stress, mental health, shame and rumination, few interventions exist to address GM stress in GMYA. Self-compassion, treating oneself with kindness instead of self-criticism in painful or difficult times, has been identified as a useful strategy to alleviate GM stress among GM people, and is a trait that can be strengthened. Mindful self-compassion (MSC), an 8-week intervention, combining mindfulness and self-compassion skills is one way to increase self-compassion. However, MSC has not yet been tested with GYMA and it is not known whether gender dysphoria (distress due to body not matching identity) could make it difficult to fully engage with body-based practices. My long-term research goal is to improve the mental health and wellbeing of GMYA by identifying, and intervening on, modifiable risk and protective factors using community-engaged, trauma-informed interventions. The current project builds upon my prior cross-sectional research on GMYA’ mental health by exploring the feasibility of an existing intervention with a new population. The objective for this proposal is to obtain training and certification as an MSC teacher as well as additional skills in trauma-informed mindfulness and embodied practice, intervention science (implementation, evaluation, and adaptation), advanced data analysis, and community engaged research. With guidance from my mentors, I will pursue the following specific aims: 1) evaluate the feasibility of an 8-week MSC intervention and data collection plan (pre-, post-, 3-month follow-up) with 5 consecutive groups of GMYA, 2) evaluate the usability of MSC intervention activities by GMYA and determine whether MSC activities need to be tailored for GMYA, and 3) explore GMYA’s pre- and post- intervention and 3-month follow-up data to examine whether shame, rumination, self-compassion, depression, and anxiety are sensitive to change. The goals of this project are consistent with NCCIH’s interest in mind-body interventions to help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression among sexual and gender minority populations (NOT-MD-22-012), objectives to advance science on health promotion, resilience, and symptom management (Obj. 3), and commitment to research with diverse populations and a diverse scientific workforce (Obj. 4). Under the guidance of expert mentors in the population, methods, approaches, and with a strong history of research funding- the proposed project will provide me with the necessary skills to independently conduct rigorous complementary and integrative health research to improve mental health and wellbeing among GMYA.