An Online Family-based Program to Prevent Alcohol Use and Dating and Sexual Violence Among Sexual and Gender Minority Youth
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Not specified
- Conditions
- Alcohol Drinking
- Sponsor
- University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
- Enrollment
- 160
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Monitoring the future alcohol use intentions
- Status
- Recruiting
- Last Updated
- 9 months ago
Overview
Brief Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about an online group program (Healthy Families Bright Futures program) for LGBTQ+ teens and their caregivers. The main question[s] it aims to answer are: • is this program acceptable, appropriate, and feasible for LGBTQ+ youth and their caregivers • does the program affect teen (alcohol use, dating violence, alcohol use refusal self-efficacy, healthy communication self-efficacy) and caregiver (accepting behaviors, parenting self-efficacy, parenting behaviors) outcomes associated with risk for dating violence and alcohol use among LGBTQ+ teens. Participants will participate in a one-hour weekly online group for seven weeks with separate groups for teens and caregivers.
Detailed Description
Research documents concerning rates of alcohol use (AU) and dating violence (DV) among sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY), likely related to a combination of population-specific risk factors (e.g., caregiver rejection, internalized homo/bi/transphobia), universal risk factors (e.g., deficits in social emotional skills and alcohol refusal skills, inaccurate perceptions of alcohol norms) and lack of protective factors (e.g., parenting and family relational skills). To date, however, little is known about how to concurrently prevent AU and DV among SGMY. This study will develop and evaluate an online family-based program (Healthy Families Bright Future program \[HFBFP\]) to prevent AU and DV among SGMY ages 15 to 18. The HFBFP is a group-based intervention that includes seven weekly separate caregiver and youth sessions. Programming for caregivers focuses on fostering acceptance and support for SGMY and enhancing relevant caregiving/positive parenting skills. Programming for SGMY focuses on reducing internalized homo/bi/transphobia and enhancing social-emotional skills, increasing accurate perceptions of alcohol and dating violence norms, increasing alcohol refusal skills, and improving conflict resolution strategies/improving assertive communication. SGMY and caregiver programming is designed to be complementary in content to enhance the potency of programming components, and program skills will be practiced as a family between sessions. The program is co-facilitated by an SGM young adult and SGMY caregiver. During the Pilot Evaluation Phase, the investigators will via a randomized controlled trial of caregiver-SGMY dyads (40 dyads assigned to the HFBFP and 40 dyads to a waitlist), assess the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of the HFBFP via program observations, post-session surveys (n = 80), and exit interviews (n = 28) with participants. The study will test the HFBFP's efficacy in improving relevant family/caregiver outcomes (e.g., family communication skills, parenting self-efficacy, affirming behaviors) as well as relevant SGMY outcomes (e.g., alcohol use intentions, alcohol use, dating violence victimization and perpetration, minority stress, perceived DV/alcohol use norms, communication self-efficacy) via surveys completed at baseline, immediate post-test, and 3-month follow-up. Participants will be recruited from across the U.S. via social media and from LGBTQ+ organizations.
Investigators
Heather Littleton
Associate Professor
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Age between 15 and 18 years
- •Self-identify as a sexual and/or gender minority or questioning identity
- •In dating/sexual/hook up relationship in past three months
- •Ability to read, write, and speak English
- •Current residence in United States
- •Regular Internet access
- •Ability to complete program and assessments
- •Has caregiver willing to complete program who is eligible to participate (18 +, sees teen at least once per week, can read/write/speak English, residence in US, Internet access, no current suicidality, psychotic symptoms, or symptoms of serious mental illness)
Exclusion Criteria
- •Current enrollment as a college student
- •Current suicidality
- •Current psychotic symptoms
- •Current symptoms of serious mental illness
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Monitoring the future alcohol use intentions
Time Frame: Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months
Teens only, two items that query about intentions to drink alcohol in the next 3 months and the next 30 days. Rating scale responses ranging from 1- Definitely will and 5- Definitely won't. Mean score of both items are calculated. Possible range 1 to 5, higher scores reflect lower intentions to use alcohol.
Conflict Tactics Scale- 2 (SGM Specific IPV Victimization)
Time Frame: Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months
Teens only- both a dichotomous and mean score calculated. For each item, teens indicate how often in the past month they experience the SGM specific dating violence behavior with options of 0 times (0), 1-3 times (1), 4-10 times (2), more than 10 times (3). Higher scores reflect greater SGM specific IPV victimization.
Measure of Adolescent Relationships and Harassment and Abuse - Perpetration
Time Frame: Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months
Teens only- both dichotomous scores and mean scores calculated for each subscale administered (cyber control, social control, intimidation). Items refer to frequency of past month perpetration (0 times \[0\], 1-3 times \[1\], 4-10 times \[2\], more than 10 times \[3\]). Higher scores reflect greater perpetration.
Measure of Adolescent Relationships and Harassment and Abuse - Victimization
Time Frame: Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months
Teens only- both dichotomous scores and mean scores calculated for each subscale administered (privacy control, social control, intimidation). Items refer to frequency of past month victimization (0 times \[0\], 1-3 times \[1\], 4-10 times \[2\], more than 10 times \[3\]). Higher scores reflect greater victimization.
Drinking Refusal Self-Efficacy Questionnaire- Shortened adolescent version
Time Frame: Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months
Teens only- both total and subscale (opportunistic, social pressure, emotional relief) scores are calculated. Items are summed. Higher scores reflect greater alcohol refusal self-efficacy. Possible total range 9- 54.
Conflict Tactics Scale- 2 (SGM Specific IPV Perpetration)
Time Frame: Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months
Teens only- both a dichotomous and mean score calculated. For each item, teens indicate how often in the past month they engaged in the SGM specific dating violence behavior with options of 0 times (0), 1-3 times (1), 4-10 times (2), more than 10 times (3). Higher scores reflect greater engagement in SGM specific IPV.
Program acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility ratings (drawn from Weiner)
Time Frame: 8 weeks
Teens and caregivers- subscales consist of 6 items each with one assessing appropriateness (e.g., the program was a good match to my needs), one assessing acceptability (e.g., I liked the program), and one assessing feasibility (e.g., The skills I learned in the program are easy to use). Mean scores are calculated for each subscale. For each item, participants rate their agreement with the statement on a 5 point scale ranging from 1 strongly disagree to 5 strongly agree. Mean subscale scores are compared to scale midpoint (3). Scores significantly above the midpoint are evidence of intervention acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility.
Monitoring the future alcohol use items
Time Frame: Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months
Teens only- Items assesses frequency of alcohol use and frequency of getting drunk in past 30 days. Response options are: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6-9, 10-19, 20-39, 40+. Mean scores across both items are calculated. Higher scores reflect more frequent alcohol use.
Secondary Outcomes
- Parental Monitoring Short Scale(Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months)
- PHQ-8 (modified for adolescents)(Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months)
- LGBTQ+ teen perceived drinking norms(Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months)
- LGBTQ+ teen perceived dating violence norms(Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months)
- Communication skills test (modified to assess self-efficacy)(Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months)
- Short Internalized Homonegativity Scale.(Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months)
- Sexual communication self-efficacy scale(Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months)
- Parent Adolescent Communication Scale(Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months)
- Self-Efficacy for Parenting Adolescents Scale(Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months)
- Alabama Parenting Questionnaire- Short form(Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months)
- Social and Emotional Competencies Questionnaire(Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months)
- LGBTQ+ Microaggressions and Microaffirmations in Families(Baseline, 8 weeks, 3 months)