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Evaluation ViewAttendees 2

LGBTQ+
Symposia

Symposium 52 - Investigating Sexual and Mental Health Challenges among Stimulant Using Sexual Minority Men

Friday, November 15, 2024
2:30 PM – 3:30 PM EST
Location: Franklin 2, Level 4, Downtown Marriott
CE: 1

Keywords: Sexuality, LGBTQ+, Public Health
Level of Familiarity: All
Recommended Readings: Viamonte, M., Ghanooni, D., Reynolds, J.M. et al. Running with Scissors: a Systematic Review of Substance Use and the Pre-exposure Prophylaxis Care Continuum Among Sexual Minority Men. Curr HIV/AIDS Rep 19, 235–250 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11904-022-00608-y,   Brian A. Feinstein, Raymond L. Moody, Steven A. John, Jeffrey T. Parsons & Brian Mustanski (2018) A three-city comparison of drug use and drug use before sex among young men who have sex with men in the United States, Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 30:1, 82-101, DOI: 10.1080/10538720.2018.1408519,   Eirik Amundsen , Ashley Elizabeth Muller , Eirik Reierth , Vegard Skogen & Rigmor C Berg (2023) Chemsex Among Men Who Have Sex With Men: A Systematic Scoping Review of Research Methods, Journal of Homosexuality, DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2023.2170757,   Rodriguez-Seijas, C., Rogers, B. G., Harkness, A., Safren, S. A., & Pachankis, J. E. (2024). ParTy ’n’ Play: Associations Between Sex-Related Substance Use and the Disinhibited Externalizing Spectrum Among Gay and Bisexual Men. Clinical Psychological Science, 12(1), 83-97. https://doi.org/10.1177/21677026231158062,  

Gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (i.e., sexual minority men) face significant sexual and mental health disparities compared to the general population. Sexual minority men (SMM) who use stimulants (e.g., methamphetamines, cocaine) may experience even more poorer sexual and mental health outcomes compared to their SMM peers who do not use stimulants because of psychological and physiological vulnerabilities associated with use. Epidemiologic data indicates that SMM use stimulants up to 20 times more than the general population, with up to 25% of SMM reporting use in the context of sex. SMM who engage in concurrent stimulant use and sex are at increased susceptibility for acquiring HIV and other sexual transmitted infections (STIs) due to more frequent condomless sex, a greater number of sexual partners, and more frequent engagement with sexual behaviors that carry greater biological risk for disease transmission (e.g., rough sex). Additionally, stimulant using SMM often experience comorbid psychological challenges (e.g., depression, anxiety, PTSD, polysubstance use) that may be both a catalyst for and result of persistent negative sexual and mental health outcomes.

This symposium brings together three complementary presentations that rigorously examine the complex relationship between stimulant use and mental and sexual health among SMM to help inform future research and cognitive-behavioral focused interventions centered on improving sexual and psychological health among this underserved population. Although all presenters have a background in substance use, sexual health, and SMM health care/well-being, they represent significant diversity of experience in relation to training (i.e., clinical psychologists, epidemiologists) and career stage (i.e., doctoral students up and through senior career researchers). The first presentation uses latent class analysis to examine the links between stimulant use and stimulant use symptom severity as well as if these factors are associated with differences in sexual attitudes, behaviors, and health outcomes among a large sample of SMM living in Canada. The second presentation explores the relationship between negative affect and components of hypersexuality and how certain coping styles may moderate these relationships among stimulant using SMM in certain regional pockets of the United States (U.S.). The third presentation evaluates patterns of stimulant use and mental health among SMM with HIV engaged in a short-term, community-informed psychobehavioral pilot intervention in New England as well as changes in mental health treatment outcomes post intervention. Finally, our discussant (epidemiologist) and co-chair (practicing clinical health psychologist) will lead a collaborate discussion to synthesize themes across talks and offer insights into future directions to best improve sexual and mental health outcomes among stimulant using SMM with a specific lens towards cognitive-behavioral treatment targets. Discussants will center the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration when researching, caring for, and advocating for stimulant using SMM.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
  1. Identify unique sexual and mental health challenges affecting sexual minority men who use stimulants.
  2. Explain how CBT may target specific mental health challenges experienced by sexual minority men who use stimulants.
  3. Identify measurement tools that can be used to evaluate both sexual and mental health outcomes among stimulant using MSM.
  4. Gain insight into how stimulant use behavior and sexual risk become intertwined for many sexual minority men who use stimulants.
  5. Generate new research ideas to further support sexual minority men who use stimulants.

Presentations:

  • 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM EST
    (SYM 52) Exploring Coping Styles as a Moderator of the Association Between Negative Affect and Hypersexual Behavior in Stimulant-using Men Who Have Sex with Men

    Speaker: Elliott R. Weinstein, M.P.H., M.S. (he/him/his) – University of Miami

    Co-author: Emma Tishler (she/her/hers) – University of Miami

    Co-author: Kaitlyn Carino, B.S. (she/her/hers) – University of Miami

    Co-author: Katie B. Biello, M.P.H., Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Brown University School of Public Health

    Co-author: David Pantalone, Ph.D. – University of Massachusetts Boston

    Co-author: Matthew J. Mimiaga, M.P.H., M.A., Ph.D. – University of California Los Angeles

    Co-author: Steven A. Safren, ABPP, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – University of Miami

  • 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM EST
    (SYM 52) Different Classes of Crystal Methamphetamine Use Are Associated with Psychological and Sexually Transmitted Infection Outcomes Among Gay, Bisexual, and Other Men Who Have Sex with Men

    Speaker: Trevor A. Hart, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – Toronto Metropolitan University

    Co-author: Graham Berlin, MA (he/him/his) – Toronto Metropolitan University, Department of Psychology

    Co-author: Yangqing Deng, PhD (he/him/his) – University Health Network.

    Co-author: Syed Noor, PhD – Louisiana State University Shreveport

    Co-author: Paolo Palma, PhD (he/him/his) – Toronto Metropolitan University

    Co-author: Shayna Skakoon-Sparling, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Toronto Metropolitan University, Department of Psychology

    Co-author: Jeffrey Wardell, Ph.D. – York University

    Co-author: Sarah Dermody, Ph.D., C.Psych (she/her/hers) – Toronto Metropolitan University

    Co-author: Darrell Tan, MD, FRCPC, PhD (he/him/his) – St. Michael’s Hospital

    Co-author: Daniel Grace, PhD – University of toronto

    Co-author: Nathan Lachowsky, PhD (he/him/his) – University of Victoria

    Co-author: Joseph Cox, MD – McGill University

    Co-author: David Moore, MDCM, MHSc – University of British Columbia and Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS

    Co-author: Gilles Lambert, MD – Direction regionale de sante publique

    Co-author: Terri Zhang, BSc (they/them/theirs) – Toronto Metropolitan University

    Co-author: Milada Dvorakova, MS – McGill University Health Centre

    Co-author: Allan Lal, BA – BC Centre of Excellence in HIV/AIDS

    Co-author: Jody Jollimore, MPH (he/him/his) – Canadian AIDS Treatment Information Exchange (CATIE)

  • 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM EST
    (SYM 52) Patterns of Mental Health and Stimulant Use Among a Sample of SMM with HIV: Results from a Pilot Clinical Trial of a Psychobehavioral Intervention for People Who Use Drugs

    Speaker: Christopher Chiu, Ph.D. (he/him/his) – Massachusetts General Hospital

    Co-author: Eleanor Olsen, BA (she/her/hers) – Fenway Health/The Fenway Institute

    Co-author: Jenny Shin, MPH (she/her/hers) – Massachusetts General Hospital

    Co-author: Abigail W. Batchelder, M.P.H., Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – Boston University School of Medicine & Department of Psychiatry Boston Medical Center