Background: Same-sex attracted young adults have been found to experience higher rates of mental health problems and greater difficulties in accessing specialist mental health care services compared to their heterosexual peers. Internet-based mental health interventions have the potential to be more engaging and accessible to young adults compared to those delivered face-to-face. However, they are rarely inclusive of lesbian women and gay men. Thus, the current study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an online mental health and wellbeing program, Out & Online (http://www.outandonline.org.au), in comparison to a wait-list control group, for reducing anxiety and depressive symptoms in same-sex attracted young adults aged between 18 and 25 years.

Methods/design: We are recruiting, through media and community organisations, 200 same-sex attracted young adults with anxiety and/or depressive symptoms and mild to moderate psychological distress (Kessler-10 score between 16 to 21). Participants will be randomly allocated to the intervention (the online program) or the wait-list control group based on a permuted blocked randomisation method to allow for stratification by gender. Participants in the intervention group will receive a tailored program for up to three types of mental health difficulties simultaneously. The primary outcome of anxiety and/or depressive symptoms, and secondary outcomes related to psychological distress, wellbeing and health behaviour will be measured at pre-intervention (0 week), post-intervention (8 weeks) and at a 3-month follow-up (20 weeks).

Discussion: This online mental health and wellbeing program will be one of the first online interventions to be designed specifically to be relevant for same-sex attracted individuals. If the program is found to be effective it will improve access to specialist same-sex attracted-relevant mental health services for young adults and will facilitate wellbeing outcomes for these individuals. This program will also be a significant development in the delivery of tailored interventions that target multiple types of mental health conditions simultaneously.

Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12611000700932. Date registered: 7 July 2011.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4308019PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1745-6215-15-504DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

mental health
36
young adults
24
same-sex attracted
20
attracted young
16
health wellbeing
12
wellbeing program
12
depressive symptoms
12
health
10
mental
9
online mental
8

Similar Publications

Background: Schizophrenia is a multifactorial disorder influenced by various biological and psychosocial factors. This study aimed to determine the characteristics and associated factors of expressed emotion (EE) among caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia.

Methods: From May to July 2024, a cross-sectional study was conducted with caregivers of individuals with schizophrenia across multiple hospitals in Southern Thailand.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Obesity is a multifactorial disease reaching pandemic proportions with increasing healthcare costs, advocating the development of better prevention and treatment strategies. Previous research indicates that the gut microbiome plays an important role in metabolic, hormonal, and neuronal cross-talk underlying eating behavior. We therefore aim to examine the effects of prebiotic and neurocognitive behavioral interventions on food decision-making and to assay the underlying mechanisms in a Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Substance use among adolescents is strongly associated with adverse physical, mental health, and social outcomes. Prevention and early intervention can reduce the likelihood of future problems, but requires valid and reliable screening tools capable of assessing risk across a range of substances. This study assessed the validity, reliability, and clinical utility of the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST-Y) for adolescents aged 15-17 years.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Increased levels of emotion dysregulation and impulsive behavior are overlapping symptoms in adult Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (aADHD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), both symptom domains reflecting on inhibitory control, although from different angles. Our aims were to describe their differences in the above conditions, investigate their associations with childhood traumatization, and to explore the potential mediation of emotion dysregulation and impulsivity between childhood traumas and personality functioning.

Methods: Young adults between 18 and 36 years diagnosed with aADHD (n = 100) and BPD (n = 63) were investigated with structured clinical interviews, while age-matched healthy controls (n = 100) were screened for psychiatric disorders.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The aging population represents a formidable global challenge, with China experiencing an accelerated demographic shift. While previous research has established a directional link between mental health literacy, social participation, and active aging, the moderating effect of socioeconomic status (SES) on these associations remains underexplored. This study sought to address this gap by employing moderated network analysis, in contrast to the total score approaches commonly used in prior literature.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!