Escobar-Viera César G, Choukas-Bradley Sophia, Sidani Jaime, Maheux Anne J, Roberts Savannah R, Rollman Bruce L
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
Center for Enhancing Treatment and Utilization for Depression and Emergent Suicidality (ETUDES), School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.
Front Digit Health. 2022 Jun 27;4:900695. doi: 10.3389/fdgth.2022.900695. eCollection 2022.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth living in rural areas who feel isolated are at high risk of depression and suicidality. Given the lack of support in their offline communities, many rural-living LGBTQ youth turn to social media for social support. In this qualitative study, we examined rural LGBTQ youth's social media experiences and attitudes toward technology-based interventions for reducing perceived isolation.
In Spring 2020, we conducted online interviews with LGBTQ youth aged 14-19, living in rural areas of the United States, who screened positive for perceived social isolation (n = 20; 11 cisgender sexual minority, 9 transgender). Interviews examined (1) supportive social media experiences, (2) personal strategies to improve social media experiences, and (3) perspective on potential digital intervention delivery modalities. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.
Related to supportive content and interactions, themes included (1) positive representation of and connecting with LGBTQ groups on social media are important; (2) content from people with shared experience feels supportive, and (3) lack of feedback to one's experiences is isolating. Regarding personal strategies to improve social media experiences, themes were (1) selecting platforms to connect with different audiences helps make for a more enjoyable social media experience, and (2) several social media platform features can help make for a safer social media experience. Youth discussed advantages and disadvantages of intervention delivery via a mobile app, social media pages or groups, conversational agents (chatbots), and a dedicated website.
Viewing positive representation of and connecting with LGBTQ groups, content from people shared experiences, and utilizing a wide array of platform features to increase the likelihood of positive connections are key to a positive social media experience among this group. Combining delivery modalities is key to engaging rural-living LGBTQ youth in digitally delivered support interventions to reduce perceived isolation. Our results inform future intervention research and conversations about social determinants of health between providers and rural LGBTQ patients.
生活在农村地区且感到孤立的女同性恋、男同性恋、双性恋、跨性别者及酷儿（LGBTQ）青年有患抑郁症和自杀的高风险。鉴于他们的线下社区缺乏支持，许多生活在农村的LGBTQ青年转向社交媒体寻求社会支持。在这项定性研究中，我们考察了农村LGBTQ青年的社交媒体体验以及他们对基于技术的减少感知到的孤立感干预措施的态度。
2020年春季，我们对年龄在14 - 19岁、生活在美国农村地区且筛查出有感知到的社会孤立阳性结果的LGBTQ青年进行了在线访谈（n = 20；11名顺性别性少数群体，9名跨性别者）。访谈考察了（1）支持性的社交媒体体验，（2）改善社交媒体体验的个人策略，以及（3）对潜在数字干预交付方式的看法。使用主题分析法对数据进行了分析。
关于支持性内容和互动，主题包括（1）社交媒体上LGBTQ群体的积极呈现以及与之建立联系很重要；（2）有共同经历者的内容让人感到支持，以及（3）对自身经历缺乏反馈会让人感到孤立。关于改善社交媒体体验的个人策略，主题是（1）选择平台以与不同受众建立联系有助于带来更愉快的社交媒体体验，以及（2）一些社交媒体平台功能有助于带来更安全的社交媒体体验。青年们讨论了通过移动应用程序、社交媒体页面或群组、对话代理（聊天机器人）以及专门网站进行干预交付的优缺点。
看到LGBTQ群体的积极呈现并与之建立联系、有共同经历者的内容以及利用各种平台功能来增加积极联系的可能性是该群体获得积极社交媒体体验的关键。结合交付方式是让生活在农村的LGBTQ青年参与数字交付的支持性干预措施以减少感知到的孤立感的关键。我们的结果为未来的干预研究以及医疗服务提供者与农村LGBTQ患者之间关于健康的社会决定因素的对话提供了信息。
