Group Intervention for Sexual Minority Adults with Common Mental Health Problems: Preliminary Evaluation

David Hambrook; Lewis Benjamin; Damian Aries; Katharine Rimes

doi:10.1017/S1352465822000297

Group Intervention for Sexual Minority Adults with Common Mental Health Problems: Preliminary Evaluation

David Hambrook, Lewis Benjamin, Damian Aries, Katharine Rimes

Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Abstract Background: Stigma against lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer (LGBQ) people may increase their risk of mental illness and reduce their access to and/or benefit from evidence-based psychological treatments. Little is known about the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of adapted psychological interventions for sexual minority individuals in the UK. Aims: To describe and evaluate a novel LGBQ Wellbeing group therapy for sexual minority adults experiencing common mental health problems, provided in a UK Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service. Method: An eight-session LGBQ Wellbeing group intervention was developed drawing on CBT and LGBQ affirmative principles. We compare the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who completed and dropped out of the groups, and explore changes in self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety and functional impairment. Results: Over eight courses provided, 78 service-users attended at least one session, of whom 78.2% completed the intervention (drop-out rate 21.8%). Older participants were more likely to drop out. There was a lower proportion of female and bisexual or ethnic/racial minority individuals than would be expected. There were significant reductions in severity of depression, anxiety and functional impairment following the group, and more than half of those who completed the intervention needed no further treatment. Conclusions: There was preliminary evidence of the feasibility of, and potential clinical benefit in, a group therapy intervention for sexual minority adults experiencing common mental health problems. Future research should investigate access and outcomes for participants with additional social disadvantage, e.g. those who are female, older, bisexual or ethnic/racial minority.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	575-589
Number of pages	15
Journal	Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy
Volume	50
Issue number	6
Early online date	11 Aug 2022
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465822000297
Publication status	Published - 11 Nov 2022

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10.1017/S1352465822000297

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@article{b16e3574e8b44623a36ae04fe7771672,

title = "Group Intervention for Sexual Minority Adults with Common Mental Health Problems: Preliminary Evaluation",

abstract = "Abstract Background: Stigma against lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer (LGBQ) people may increase their risk of mental illness and reduce their access to and/or benefit from evidence-based psychological treatments. Little is known about the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of adapted psychological interventions for sexual minority individuals in the UK. Aims: To describe and evaluate a novel LGBQ Wellbeing group therapy for sexual minority adults experiencing common mental health problems, provided in a UK Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service. Method: An eight-session LGBQ Wellbeing group intervention was developed drawing on CBT and LGBQ affirmative principles. We compare the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who completed and dropped out of the groups, and explore changes in self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety and functional impairment. Results: Over eight courses provided, 78 service-users attended at least one session, of whom 78.2% completed the intervention (drop-out rate 21.8%). Older participants were more likely to drop out. There was a lower proportion of female and bisexual or ethnic/racial minority individuals than would be expected. There were significant reductions in severity of depression, anxiety and functional impairment following the group, and more than half of those who completed the intervention needed no further treatment. Conclusions: There was preliminary evidence of the feasibility of, and potential clinical benefit in, a group therapy intervention for sexual minority adults experiencing common mental health problems. Future research should investigate access and outcomes for participants with additional social disadvantage, e.g. those who are female, older, bisexual or ethnic/racial minority.",

author = "David Hambrook and Lewis Benjamin and Damian Aries and Katharine Rimes",

note = "Funding Information: The LGBQ Wellbeing Group was developed and provided in Talking Therapies Southwark (TTS), an IAPT service in South London. TTS is commissioned and funded by NHS South East London Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and operated by the South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. TTS offers evidence-based psychological interventions for people aged 16 years and over experiencing mild to moderately severe common mental health problems, primarily mood and anxiety disorders. Like other IAPT services and in line with clinical guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), TTS operates a {\textquoteleft}stepped care{\textquoteright} model; a system of delivering and monitoring treatments, so that after assessment (step 1) the most effective yet least resource-intensive treatments (e.g. group therapies, guided self-help) are provided first (step 2), and service-users are only {\textquoteleft}stepped up{\textquoteright} to more intensive individual face-to-face therapies (step 3) as clinically required. Research suggests that Southwark is the local authority area with the second highest sexual minority population in the UK, at around 5% of the local population (Office for National Statistics, ). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright}",

year = "2022",

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doi = "10.1017/S1352465822000297",

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T1 - Group Intervention for Sexual Minority Adults with Common Mental Health Problems: Preliminary Evaluation

AU - Hambrook, David

AU - Benjamin, Lewis

AU - Aries, Damian

AU - Rimes, Katharine

N1 - Funding Information: The LGBQ Wellbeing Group was developed and provided in Talking Therapies Southwark (TTS), an IAPT service in South London. TTS is commissioned and funded by NHS South East London Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and operated by the South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. TTS offers evidence-based psychological interventions for people aged 16 years and over experiencing mild to moderately severe common mental health problems, primarily mood and anxiety disorders. Like other IAPT services and in line with clinical guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), TTS operates a ‘stepped care’ model; a system of delivering and monitoring treatments, so that after assessment (step 1) the most effective yet least resource-intensive treatments (e.g. group therapies, guided self-help) are provided first (step 2), and service-users are only ‘stepped up’ to more intensive individual face-to-face therapies (step 3) as clinically required. Research suggests that Southwark is the local authority area with the second highest sexual minority population in the UK, at around 5% of the local population (Office for National Statistics, ). Publisher Copyright: ©

PY - 2022/11/11

Y1 - 2022/11/11

N2 - Abstract Background: Stigma against lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer (LGBQ) people may increase their risk of mental illness and reduce their access to and/or benefit from evidence-based psychological treatments. Little is known about the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of adapted psychological interventions for sexual minority individuals in the UK. Aims: To describe and evaluate a novel LGBQ Wellbeing group therapy for sexual minority adults experiencing common mental health problems, provided in a UK Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service. Method: An eight-session LGBQ Wellbeing group intervention was developed drawing on CBT and LGBQ affirmative principles. We compare the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who completed and dropped out of the groups, and explore changes in self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety and functional impairment. Results: Over eight courses provided, 78 service-users attended at least one session, of whom 78.2% completed the intervention (drop-out rate 21.8%). Older participants were more likely to drop out. There was a lower proportion of female and bisexual or ethnic/racial minority individuals than would be expected. There were significant reductions in severity of depression, anxiety and functional impairment following the group, and more than half of those who completed the intervention needed no further treatment. Conclusions: There was preliminary evidence of the feasibility of, and potential clinical benefit in, a group therapy intervention for sexual minority adults experiencing common mental health problems. Future research should investigate access and outcomes for participants with additional social disadvantage, e.g. those who are female, older, bisexual or ethnic/racial minority.

AB - Abstract Background: Stigma against lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer (LGBQ) people may increase their risk of mental illness and reduce their access to and/or benefit from evidence-based psychological treatments. Little is known about the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of adapted psychological interventions for sexual minority individuals in the UK. Aims: To describe and evaluate a novel LGBQ Wellbeing group therapy for sexual minority adults experiencing common mental health problems, provided in a UK Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service. Method: An eight-session LGBQ Wellbeing group intervention was developed drawing on CBT and LGBQ affirmative principles. We compare the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of patients who completed and dropped out of the groups, and explore changes in self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety and functional impairment. Results: Over eight courses provided, 78 service-users attended at least one session, of whom 78.2% completed the intervention (drop-out rate 21.8%). Older participants were more likely to drop out. There was a lower proportion of female and bisexual or ethnic/racial minority individuals than would be expected. There were significant reductions in severity of depression, anxiety and functional impairment following the group, and more than half of those who completed the intervention needed no further treatment. Conclusions: There was preliminary evidence of the feasibility of, and potential clinical benefit in, a group therapy intervention for sexual minority adults experiencing common mental health problems. Future research should investigate access and outcomes for participants with additional social disadvantage, e.g. those who are female, older, bisexual or ethnic/racial minority.

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DO - 10.1017/S1352465822000297

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JO - Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy

JF - Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy

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Group Intervention for Sexual Minority Adults with Common Mental Health Problems: Preliminary Evaluation

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