@Article{info:doi/10.2196/56198,
author="Isb{\u{a}}șoiu, Andreea Bogdana
and Sava, Florin Alin
and Larsen, Torill M B
and Anderssen, Norman
and Rotaru, Tudor-Stefan
and Rusu, Andrei
and S{\u{a}}l{\u{a}}gean, Nastasia
and Tulbure, Bogdan Tudor",
title="An Internet-Based Intervention to Increase the Ability of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual People to Cope With Adverse Events: Single-Group Feasibility Study",
journal="JMIR Form Res",
year="2024",
month="May",
day="15",
volume="8",
pages="e56198",
keywords="acceptance and commitment therapy; anxiety; depression; PTSD; LGBTQ+; online interventions; transdiagnostic; prevention",
abstract="Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people are at higher risk of mental health problems due to widespread hetero- and cisnormativity, including negative public attitudes toward the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to combating social exclusion at the societal level, strengthening the coping abilities of young LGBTQ+ people is an important goal. Objective: In this transdiagnostic feasibility study, we tested a 6-week internet intervention program designed to increase the ability of nonclinical LGBTQ+ participants to cope with adverse events in their daily lives. The program was based on acceptance and commitment therapy principles. Methods: The program consists of 6 web-based modules and low-intensity assistance for homework provided by a single care provider asynchronously. The design was a single-group assignment of 15 self-identified LGB community members who agreed to participate in an open trial with a single group (pre- and postintervention design). Results: Before starting the program, participants found the intervention credible and expressed high satisfaction at the end of the intervention. Treatment adherence, operationalized by the percentage of completed homework assignments (32/36, 88{\%}) was also high. When we compared participants' pre- and postintervention scores, we found a significant decrease in clinical symptoms of depression (Cohen d=0.44, 90{\%} CI 0.09-0.80), social phobia (d=0.39, 90{\%} CI 0.07-0.72), and posttraumatic stress disorder (d=0.30, 90{\%} CI 0.04-0.55). There was also a significant improvement in the level of self-acceptance and behavioral effectiveness (d=0.64, 90{\%} CI 0.28-0.99) and a significant decrease in the tendency to avoid negative internal experiences (d=0.38, 90{\%} CI 0.09-0.66). The level of general anxiety disorder (P=.11; d=0.29, 90{\%} CI --0.10 to 0.68) and alcohol consumption (P=.35; d=--0.06, 90{\%} CI --0.31 to 0.19) were the only 2 outcomes for which the results were not statistically significant. Conclusions: The proposed web-based acceptance and commitment therapy program, designed to help LGBTQ+ participants better manage emotional difficulties and become more resilient, represents a promising therapeutic tool. The program could be further tested with more participants to ensure its efficacy and effectiveness. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05514964; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05514964 ",
issn="2561-326X",
doi="10.2196/56198",
url="https://formative.jmir.org/2024/1/e56198",
url="https://doi.org/10.2196/56198",
url="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/38749024"
}