Randomised controlled trial of LGBTQ-affirmative cognitive-behavioural therapy for sexual minority women’s minority stress, mental health and hazardous drinking: Project EQuIP protocol

Introduction Sexual minority women represent one of the highest-risk groups for hazardous drinking and comorbid mental health problems (eg, depression, anxiety). Research has identified cognitive (eg, expectations of rejection), affective (eg, emotion dysregulation) and behavioural (eg, avoidant cop...

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Main Authors: John Pachankis, Danielle Chiaramonte, Jillian R Scheer, Hadley Ankrum, Benjamin Eisenstadt, Rebekah Hobbs, Hunter Baldwin, Jeremy D Kidd, Katie Witkiewitz, Denise Ann Esserman, Kendra Plourde, Laurie Drabble, Tonda Hughes
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-03-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/3/e086738.full
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author John Pachankis
Danielle Chiaramonte
Jillian R Scheer
Hadley Ankrum
Benjamin Eisenstadt
Rebekah Hobbs
Hunter Baldwin
Jeremy D Kidd
Katie Witkiewitz
Denise Ann Esserman
Kendra Plourde
Laurie Drabble
Tonda Hughes
author_facet John Pachankis
Danielle Chiaramonte
Jillian R Scheer
Hadley Ankrum
Benjamin Eisenstadt
Rebekah Hobbs
Hunter Baldwin
Jeremy D Kidd
Katie Witkiewitz
Denise Ann Esserman
Kendra Plourde
Laurie Drabble
Tonda Hughes
author_sort John Pachankis
collection DOAJ
description Introduction Sexual minority women represent one of the highest-risk groups for hazardous drinking and comorbid mental health problems (eg, depression, anxiety). Research has identified cognitive (eg, expectations of rejection), affective (eg, emotion dysregulation) and behavioural (eg, avoidant coping) pathways through which minority stress (eg, stigma) places sexual minority women at disproportionate risk of hazardous drinking and comorbid depression/anxiety; yet no evidence-based interventions have been tested to address these pathways in this population. This article describes the design of Project EQuIP (Empowering Queer Identities in Psychotherapy), a randomised controlled trial of a transdiagnostic lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ)-affirmative cognitive-behavioural therapy intervention (CBT) designed to improve minority stress coping and reduce sexual minority women’s hazardous drinking and mental health comorbidities.Methods and analysis This two-arm randomised controlled trial, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, has two objectives: (1) test the efficacy of 10 sessions of LGBTQ-affirmative CBT compared with 10 sessions of supportive counselling for sexual minority women in the community (anticipated n=450) who report hazardous alcohol use and meet criteria for a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5 diagnosis of a depression or anxiety disorder and (2) examine psychosocial mechanisms and demographic factors as potential mediators and moderators, respectively, of the treatment-outcome relationship. This study’s primary outcome is change in the proportion of heavy drinking days. Secondary outcomes are changes in depressive and anxious symptoms.Ethics and dissemination The Yale University Human Subjects Committee reviewed and approved the research protocol. Results of this study will be disseminated to researchers and practitioners through peer-review publications and conference presentations, and directly to study participants.Trial registration number Registered on 17 August 2022 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05509166).
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spelling doaj-art-bbda79c53ba340b4840c19db7bf6e03e2025-08-20T03:15:48ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552025-03-0115310.1136/bmjopen-2024-086738Randomised controlled trial of LGBTQ-affirmative cognitive-behavioural therapy for sexual minority women’s minority stress, mental health and hazardous drinking: Project EQuIP protocolJohn Pachankis0Danielle Chiaramonte1Jillian R Scheer2Hadley Ankrum3Benjamin Eisenstadt4Rebekah Hobbs5Hunter Baldwin6Jeremy D Kidd7Katie Witkiewitz8Denise Ann Esserman9Kendra Plourde10Laurie Drabble11Tonda Hughes121 Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA1 Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA2 Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA1 Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA1 Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA1 Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA1 Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA3 Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA4 Univ New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA5 Department of Biostatistics, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA5 Department of Biostatistics, Yale University School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, USA6 San Jose State University, San Jose, California, USA7 Columbia University School of Nursing, New York, New York, USAIntroduction Sexual minority women represent one of the highest-risk groups for hazardous drinking and comorbid mental health problems (eg, depression, anxiety). Research has identified cognitive (eg, expectations of rejection), affective (eg, emotion dysregulation) and behavioural (eg, avoidant coping) pathways through which minority stress (eg, stigma) places sexual minority women at disproportionate risk of hazardous drinking and comorbid depression/anxiety; yet no evidence-based interventions have been tested to address these pathways in this population. This article describes the design of Project EQuIP (Empowering Queer Identities in Psychotherapy), a randomised controlled trial of a transdiagnostic lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ)-affirmative cognitive-behavioural therapy intervention (CBT) designed to improve minority stress coping and reduce sexual minority women’s hazardous drinking and mental health comorbidities.Methods and analysis This two-arm randomised controlled trial, funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, has two objectives: (1) test the efficacy of 10 sessions of LGBTQ-affirmative CBT compared with 10 sessions of supportive counselling for sexual minority women in the community (anticipated n=450) who report hazardous alcohol use and meet criteria for a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5 diagnosis of a depression or anxiety disorder and (2) examine psychosocial mechanisms and demographic factors as potential mediators and moderators, respectively, of the treatment-outcome relationship. This study’s primary outcome is change in the proportion of heavy drinking days. Secondary outcomes are changes in depressive and anxious symptoms.Ethics and dissemination The Yale University Human Subjects Committee reviewed and approved the research protocol. Results of this study will be disseminated to researchers and practitioners through peer-review publications and conference presentations, and directly to study participants.Trial registration number Registered on 17 August 2022 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05509166).https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/3/e086738.full
spellingShingle John Pachankis
Danielle Chiaramonte
Jillian R Scheer
Hadley Ankrum
Benjamin Eisenstadt
Rebekah Hobbs
Hunter Baldwin
Jeremy D Kidd
Katie Witkiewitz
Denise Ann Esserman
Kendra Plourde
Laurie Drabble
Tonda Hughes
Randomised controlled trial of LGBTQ-affirmative cognitive-behavioural therapy for sexual minority women’s minority stress, mental health and hazardous drinking: Project EQuIP protocol
BMJ Open
title Randomised controlled trial of LGBTQ-affirmative cognitive-behavioural therapy for sexual minority women’s minority stress, mental health and hazardous drinking: Project EQuIP protocol
title_full Randomised controlled trial of LGBTQ-affirmative cognitive-behavioural therapy for sexual minority women’s minority stress, mental health and hazardous drinking: Project EQuIP protocol
title_fullStr Randomised controlled trial of LGBTQ-affirmative cognitive-behavioural therapy for sexual minority women’s minority stress, mental health and hazardous drinking: Project EQuIP protocol
title_full_unstemmed Randomised controlled trial of LGBTQ-affirmative cognitive-behavioural therapy for sexual minority women’s minority stress, mental health and hazardous drinking: Project EQuIP protocol
title_short Randomised controlled trial of LGBTQ-affirmative cognitive-behavioural therapy for sexual minority women’s minority stress, mental health and hazardous drinking: Project EQuIP protocol
title_sort randomised controlled trial of lgbtq affirmative cognitive behavioural therapy for sexual minority women s minority stress mental health and hazardous drinking project equip protocol
url https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/3/e086738.full
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