Clinical Round Table 15 - Examining the Feasibility and Acceptability of Brief Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Suicide Prevention Among Sexual and Gender Minoritized Individuals

Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) disparately impact people with sexual and gender minoritized (SGM) identities across the lifespan. Sexual minoritized adults (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual individuals) are more likely to report STBs than heterosexual counterparts, while 57 to 86% of transgender individuals have seriously considered suicide. In recent years, relatively new therapies, such as brief cognitive-behavioral therapy for suicide prevention (BCBT), have been designed to specifically address STBs among veterans and the general population. However, it is not yet known if SGM individuals benefit from BCBT (or other suicide specific treatments), as it does not explicitly consider the impact of SGM individuals’ identities or lived experience of suicide, nor does it explicitly target minority stressors that act as mechanisms for heightened suicide risk in this population (e.g., prejudice, expectations of rejection, concealment, and internalized homo/transphobia). Consequently, without affirming treatments tailored for the SGM community, disparities in suicide risk will not decrease.
The current presentation will present early findings from an ongoing study designed to test the feasibility, acceptability, and credibility of BCBT among people with SGM identities. The study entails a mixed-methods, unblinded, single-arm pilot trial of BCBT, with data being collected from pre/post interviews, ecological momentary assessment, and other self-report measures. Findings will provide critical information as to whether SGM participants receiving suicide-focused treatment would benefit from BCBT when adapted to address their unique stressors and experiences. This research is critical as SGM adults at risk of suicide will continue to experience inequities in access to evidence-based interventions until they are adapted to acknowledge the impact of minority stress and intersectional experiences of those who hold these oppressed identities within hetero- and cisnormative systems.