Telehealth Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to Reduce Heavy Drinking and Improve Mental Health in Sexual Minority Women in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of a 10-session LGBTQ-affirmative cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy CBT called EQuIP Empowering Queer Identities in Psychotherapy delivered via telehealth for sexual minority women in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. This 2-arm randomized controlled trial compares EQuIP to LGBTQ-affirmative treatment-as-usual, aiming to reduce heavy drinking and mental health symptoms such as depression. The study also examines psychosocial factors like emotion regulation that may influence these outcomes and explores variation in treatment effects across demographic groups. Participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups one receiving 10 weekly individual sessions of LGBTQ-affirmative CBT based on the Unified Protocol targeting minority stress-related depression, anxiety, and alcohol use the other receiving 10 weekly sessions of LGBTQ-affirmative treatment-as-usual via telehealth from therapists at the Institute for Human Identity. Both treatments are delivered remotely, with sessions occurring weekly. During the study, participants undergo baseline assessments and follow-ups at 4, 8, and 12 months to measure changes in heavy drinking and mental health symptoms. Evaluations include diagnostic interviews, symptom severity scales for depression, anxiety, PTSD, suicidal ideation, and assessments of alcohol and drug use. The study monitors participant progress, mental health, and substance use over the course of the year-long follow-up, with all data collected remotely via telehealth.

Affirmative Psychotherapy for Sexual Minority Women's Mental and Behavioral Health