An mHealth Intervention to Improve Young Gay and Bisexual Men's Sexual, Behavioral, and Mental Health in a Structurally Stigmatizing National Context

Background

Young gay and bisexual men (YGBM) in some Eastern European countries, such as Romania, face high stigma and discrimination, including in health care. Increasing HIV transmission is a concern given inadequate prevention, travel to high-prevalence countries, and popularity of sexual networking technologies.

Objective

This study aimed to adapt and pilot test, in Romania, a preliminarily efficacious mobile health (mHealth) HIV-prevention intervention, created in the United States, to reduce HIV risk among YGBM.

Methods

After an intervention formative phase, we enrolled 43 YGBM, mean age 23.2 (SD 3.6) years, who reported condomless sex with a male partner and at least 5 days of heavy drinking in the past 3 months. These YGBM completed up to eight 60-minute text-based counseling sessions grounded in motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral skills training with trained counselors on a private study mobile platform. We conducted one-group pre-post intervention assessments of sexual (eg, HIV-risk behavior), behavioral (eg, alcohol use), and mental health (eg, depression) outcomes to evaluate the intervention impact.

Results

From baseline to follow-up, participants reported significant (1) increases in HIV-related knowledge (mean 4.6 vs mean 4.8; P=.001) and recent HIV testing (mean 2.8 vs mean 3.3; P=.05); (2) reductions in the number of days of heavy alcohol consumption (mean 12.8 vs mean 6.9; P=.005), and (3) increases in the self-efficacy of condom use (mean 3.3 vs mean 4.0; P=.01). Participants reported significant reductions in anxiety (mean 1.4 vs mean 1.0; P=.02) and depression (mean 1.5 vs mean 1.0; P=.003). The intervention yielded high acceptability and feasibility: 86% (38/44) of participants who began the intervention completed the minimum dose of 5 sessions, with an average of 7.1 sessions completed; evaluation interviews indicated that participation was rewarding and an “eye-opener” about HIV risk reduction, healthy identity development, and partner communication.

Conclusions

This first mHealth HIV risk-reduction pilot intervention for YGBM in Eastern Europe indicates preliminary efficacy and strong acceptability and feasibility. This mobile prevention tool lends itself to broad dissemination across various similar settings pending future efficacy testing in a large trial, especially in contexts where stigma keeps YGBM out of reach of affirmative health interventions.

Sexual orientation disparities in the co-occurrence of substance use and psychological distress: a national population-based study (2008-2015)

PURPOSE

Although strong evidence documents the elevated prevalence of both substance use and mental health problems among sexual minorities (i.e., gay, lesbian, and bisexuals), relatively less research has examined whether risk of the co-occurrence of these factors is elevated among sexual minorities compared to heterosexuals. The object of this study was to (1) explore sexual orientation-based differences in substance use, psychological distress, and their co-occurrence in a representative sample in Sweden, and (2) examine if greater exposure to stressors, such as discrimination, victimization/threats, and social isolation, could explain these potential disparities and their co-occurrence.

METHODS

Data come from the cross-sectional Swedish National Public Health Survey, which collected random samples of individuals (16-84 years of age) annually from 2008 to 2015, with an overall response rate of 49.7% (n = 79,568 individuals; 1673 self-identified as lesbian, gay, or bisexual). Population-level sexual orientation differences in substance use (i.e., alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis) and psychological distress were examined.

RESULTS

Our findings showed significantly elevated prevalence of high-risk alcohol use, cannabis use, and daily tobacco smoking, among sexual minorities compared to heterosexuals. These substantial disparities in substance use more often co-occurred with psychological distress among sexual minorities than among heterosexuals. The elevated risk of co-occurring psychological distress and substance use was most notable among gay men relative to heterosexual men (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.65, CI 1.98, 3.55), and bisexual women relative to heterosexual women (AOR = 3.01, CI 2.43, 3.72). Multiple mediation analyses showed that experiences of discrimination, victimization, and social isolation partially explained the sexual orientation disparity in these co-occurring problems.

CONCLUSIONS

This study adds to a growing body of research showing that sexual minorities experience multiple threats to optimal health and points toward future interventions that address the shared sources of these overlapping health threats in stigma-related stress.