The purpose of this project is to develop and evaluate an online mentoring and skill-building program for transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) ages 14 to 18, the Teen Connection Project (TCP). The TCP includes seven 90-minute sessions facilitated by transgender and/or gender minority (TGM) adults (who are also mentors). TGMY will be paired with a TGM adult mentor, based on their shared interests. 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. The TCP sessions will include one-on-one mentor-mentee break-out sessions.
Transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) (i.e., any identity other than cisgender) 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 negative health outcomes in TGMY. This highlights 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 excludes TGMY in high stigma, rural areas of the United States from participating; and rarely include evidence-based skill-building components (e.g., social-emotional skills). The specific aims of this trial are as follow: 1. Assess acceptability and feasibility of the Teen Connection Project (TCP) through observations (to evaluate program delivery and observe mentor-mentee interactions), post-session surveys, and exit interviews with participants. 2. Generate preliminary data on the TCP's efficacy in reducing psychosocial and behavioral health issues facing TGMY, including mental health problems, self-harm, alcohol and drug use, sexual risk-taking, and teen dating violence. 3. Identify treatment options for TGMY. The purpose of this project is to develop and evaluate an online mentoring and skill-building program for transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) ages 14 to 18, the Teen Connection Project (TCP). The TCP includes seven 90-minute sessions facilitated by transgender and/or gender minority (TGM) adults (who are also mentors). TGMY will be paired with a TGM adult mentors, based on their shared interests. 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. The TCP sessions will include one-on-one mentor-mentee break-out sessions.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
56
The Teen Connection Project (TCP) includes seven 90-minute sessions facilitated by transgender and/or gender minority (TGM) adults. Each transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) will be paired with a TGM adult mentor based on TGMYs' rank-ordered preference for mentors. The research team seeks to match mentors \& mentees such that each TGMY is matched with one of their top 3 preferred mentors. Mentors and mentees participate together in each session along with other mentors \& mentees. Facilitators direct activities/discussion to promote TGMY social-emotional skills acquisition and facilitate mentor-mentee conversations. TCP sessions also include mentor-mentee breakout sessions where mentors share challenges they personally faced as TGMY and how they overcame them. Break-out discussions focus on self-acceptance, coming out, dating questions, hopes and goals for the future, \& how other marginalized social identities, such as race and ethnicity, intersect with identifying as TGMY.
[online program, administered by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln]
Lincoln, Nebraska, United States
Alcohol Use (Youth-reported)
Youth Risk Behavior Survey Questionnaire (YRBSS). Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 6, Higher scores = worse outcomes
Time frame: Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)
Drug Use (Youth-reported)
YRBSS. Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 5, Higher scores = worse outcomes
Time frame: Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)
Sexual Risk-Taking (Youth-reported)
Researcher-created items, adapted items with input from a youth advisory board from, YRBSS, and Sexual Risk Taking Survey. Minimum Value = 1, Maximum Value = 7, Higher scores = worse outcomes
Time frame: Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)
Dating and Sexual Violence (DSV) victimization-1 (Youth-reported)
Measure of Adolescent Relationship Harassment and Abuse (MARSHA). Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 3, Higher scores = worse outcomes
Time frame: Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)
DSV perpetration-1 (Youth-reported)
MARSHA. Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 3, Higher scores = worse outcomes
Time frame: Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)
DSV victimization-2 (Youth-reported)
CTS-2: SGM-Specific Intimate partner Violence (IPV) Tactics Scale \[CTS = Conflict Tactics Scale, SGM = sexual and gender minority\]. Minimum Value = 0, Maximum value = 3, Higher scores = worse outcomes
Time frame: Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)
DSV perpetration-2 (Youth-reported)
CTS-2: SGM-Specific IPV Tactics Scale. Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 3, Higher scores = Worse outcomes
Time frame: Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)
Depressive symptoms (Youth-reported)
Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ-9). Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 3, Higher scores = Worse outcomes
Time frame: Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)
Anxiety symptoms (Youth-reported)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7). Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 3, Higher scores = Worse outcomes
Time frame: Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)
Suicidality (Youth-reported)
Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS). Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 10, Higher scores = Better outcomes
Time frame: Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.