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Family process
09, 2023;62 (3): 932-946.

Recruiting and retaining sexual and gender minority couples in intervention research: Lessons learned from trials of tailored relationship education programs.

Sarah W Whitton, Elissa L Sarno, Kyle Josza, Christopher P Garcia, Michael E Newcomb
Author Information
  1. Sarah W Whitton: University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. ORCID
  2. Elissa L Sarno: Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA. ORCID
  3. Kyle Josza: Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
  4. Christopher P Garcia: Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
  5. Michael E Newcomb: Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA. ORCID
PMID: 37038919 DOI: 10.1111/famp.12880

Abstract

Relationship interventions, including healthy relationship education, couple therapy, and dyadic approaches to treating mental and physical health issues, hold promise for promoting relationship and individual health among sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations. Because SGM couples live within a context of societal stigma against their minority identities and relationships, they are likely to be best served by targeted, culturally sensitive relationship interventions that are affirming, free of hetero- and cis-normativity, and address the unique stigma-based challenges that they face. Therefore, a key goal for the field today is to conduct research evaluating and refining newly developed relationship interventions designed specifically for SGM couples. In this paper, we offer recommendations for effectively recruiting and retaining large, diverse samples of SGM couples for clinical trials of tailored relationship interventions, grounded in guidelines for psychological practice and conducting research with SGM populations. Throughout, we offer examples and lessons learned from our experiences conducting clinical trials of tailored SGM relationship education programs. We encourage the use of recruitment and retention strategies that involve members of the target SGM community from the outset, are informed by knowledge about SGM individuals and relationships, use currently preferred language for individual identities and relationships, attend to issues of confidentiality regarding sexual/gender identity or relationship involvement, and adhere to the norms of the particular community and recruitment venue.

Keywords

LGBT cultural competency relationship interventions sexual and gender minority

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Grants

  1. DP2 DA042417/NIDA NIH HHS
  2. R01 AA024065/NIAAA NIH HHS
  3. U01 AI156874/NIAID NIH HHS
  4. R01 HD086170/NICHD NIH HHS

MeSH Term

Humans
Male
Female
Gender Identity
Sexual Behavior
Sexual and Gender Minorities
Social Stigma
Heterosexuality
Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Word Cloud

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