TY - JOUR
T1 - A compassion microintervention targeting stress reactivity among sexual minority women and transgender/nonbinary people
T2 - Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
AU - Helminen, Emily C.
AU - Behari, Kriti
AU - Scheer, Jillian R.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2024/10
Y1 - 2024/10
N2 - Objective: Sexual minority women (SMW) and transgender and/or nonbinary (TNB) people report more adverse health outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, substance use) relative to heterosexual, cisgender people, often due to the additional stress burden from experiencing stigma. Physiological and emotional stress reactivity are mechanisms through which high cumulative stress contributes to adverse health outcomes. The randomized controlled trial (RCT) described in this study protocol examines whether a single-session compassion microintervention may attenuate physiological and emotional stress reactivity to the minority stress Trier Social Stress Test (MS-TSST) among SMW/TNB people. This study will also examine whether the compassion microintervention reduces depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and substance use from baseline to one-month follow-up, and assess microintervention acceptability. Methods: This protocol describes a two-arm parallel RCT. Participants are recruited online and at in-person events (e.g., Pride events). Participants complete baseline measures online (e.g., demographics, anxiety symptoms) and then complete an in-person lab visit that includes the compassion microintervention (or no training control). Immediately after the intervention period, participants complete the MS-TSST. Measures of physiological (i.e., blood pressure, cortisol) and emotional (i.e., negative affect, state anxiety) reactivity are collected throughout the lab visit. Participants also complete a one-month follow-up survey. Participants randomized to the microintervention are invited to complete a semi-structured virtual interview about their experiences to assess acceptability. Conclusion: Findings from this study could provide initial evidence that compassion microinterventions show promise in addressing stigma-related stress reactivity among SMW/TNB people. ClinicalTrials.govregistration:NCT05949060
AB - Objective: Sexual minority women (SMW) and transgender and/or nonbinary (TNB) people report more adverse health outcomes (e.g., depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, substance use) relative to heterosexual, cisgender people, often due to the additional stress burden from experiencing stigma. Physiological and emotional stress reactivity are mechanisms through which high cumulative stress contributes to adverse health outcomes. The randomized controlled trial (RCT) described in this study protocol examines whether a single-session compassion microintervention may attenuate physiological and emotional stress reactivity to the minority stress Trier Social Stress Test (MS-TSST) among SMW/TNB people. This study will also examine whether the compassion microintervention reduces depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and substance use from baseline to one-month follow-up, and assess microintervention acceptability. Methods: This protocol describes a two-arm parallel RCT. Participants are recruited online and at in-person events (e.g., Pride events). Participants complete baseline measures online (e.g., demographics, anxiety symptoms) and then complete an in-person lab visit that includes the compassion microintervention (or no training control). Immediately after the intervention period, participants complete the MS-TSST. Measures of physiological (i.e., blood pressure, cortisol) and emotional (i.e., negative affect, state anxiety) reactivity are collected throughout the lab visit. Participants also complete a one-month follow-up survey. Participants randomized to the microintervention are invited to complete a semi-structured virtual interview about their experiences to assess acceptability. Conclusion: Findings from this study could provide initial evidence that compassion microinterventions show promise in addressing stigma-related stress reactivity among SMW/TNB people. ClinicalTrials.govregistration:NCT05949060
KW - Compassion
KW - Gender minority
KW - Sexual minority
KW - Stress reactivity
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U2 - 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107660
DO - 10.1016/j.cct.2024.107660
M3 - Article
C2 - 39121992
AN - SCOPUS:85201497521
SN - 1551-7144
VL - 145
JO - Contemporary Clinical Trials
JF - Contemporary Clinical Trials
M1 - 107660
ER -