Geidel Betty, Siegel Magdalena, Steyrl David, Goldberg Abbie E, Bodenmann Guy, Zemp Martina
Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Waechtergasse 1/504, Vienna, 1010, Austria.
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
BMC Psychol. 2025 May 26;13(1):560. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02828-4.
Research on LGBTQ+ parent families is evolving to include a growing range of family systems, identities, methodologies, and topics. However, studies that examine minority-specific risk and resilience factors and their associations with within-family processes remain scarce, particularly outside a US-American context. Addressing these research gaps quantitatively poses challenges for researchers, because traditional modelling techniques based on (generalized) linear models are not ideally suited to capture the complexity and intersectionality of family experiences. Within this study protocol, we introduce the Rainbow Austrian Longitudinal Family (RALF) study. Its main goal is to comprehensively investigate general and minority-specific factors that affect the well-being of LGBTQ+ parent family members in Austria.
RALF is a three-wave, longitudinal study over two years that examines risk and resilience factors at the individual, couple, and family level using a multi-method, multi-rater approach. We will assess child adjustment outcomes across three child cohorts, parental mental health, and family processes across three annual data waves through online questionnaires. We aim to recruit N = 150 LGBTQ+ parent families from a variety of family forms and with various identities residing in Austria. A focal sample (target n = 60) will additionally participate in observational, video-based assessments. Our participatory research approach aims to actively engage community members and stakeholders throughout the study. A community advisory board ensures that the study reflects the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ parent families adequately, while community events and accessible dissemination strategies for study results, such as the open access data explorer ExploRALF, support community engagement and facilitate the dissemination and discussion of results. Data will be analyzed using machine learning-based approaches designed to capture complex, non-linear interactions, which are ideally suited to model intersectional experiences of LGBTQ+ parent families.
The RALF study is the first prospective study to comprehensively investigate minority-specific risk and resilience factors in Austrian LGBTQ+ parent families. Findings have the potential to fill key research gaps, inform policy, and guide clinical practices that support LGBTQ+ parent families.
对 LGBTQ+ 父母家庭的研究正在不断发展，涵盖了越来越多的家庭系统、身份认同、研究方法和主题。然而，研究少数群体特定风险和复原力因素及其与家庭内部过程的关联的研究仍然很少，尤其是在美国以外的背景下。从定量角度填补这些研究空白对研究人员来说具有挑战性，因为基于（广义）线性模型的传统建模技术并不完全适合捕捉家庭经历的复杂性和交叉性。在本研究方案中，我们介绍了奥地利彩虹纵向家庭（RALF）研究。其主要目标是全面调查影响奥地利 LGBTQ+ 父母家庭成员幸福感的一般因素和少数群体特定因素。
RALF 是一项为期两年的三波纵向研究，采用多方法、多评估者的方法，在个体、伴侣和家庭层面研究风险和复原力因素。我们将通过在线问卷评估三个儿童队列中的儿童适应结果、父母心理健康以及三个年度数据波次中的家庭过程。我们的目标是从居住在奥地利的各种家庭形式和具有不同身份的人群中招募 N = 150 个 LGBTQ+ 父母家庭。一个重点样本（目标 n = 60）将额外参与基于视频的观察性评估。我们的参与式研究方法旨在在整个研究过程中积极吸引社区成员和利益相关者参与。一个社区咨询委员会确保该研究充分反映 LGBTQ+ 父母家庭的实际生活经历，而社区活动以及研究结果的可获取传播策略，如开放获取数据浏览器 ExploRALF，支持社区参与并促进结果的传播和讨论。数据将使用基于机器学习的方法进行分析，这些方法旨在捕捉复杂的非线性相互作用，非常适合对 LGBTQ+ 父母家庭的交叉经历进行建模。
RALF 研究是第一项全面调查奥地利 LGBTQ+ 父母家庭中少数群体特定风险和复原力因素的前瞻性研究。研究结果有可能填补关键研究空白，为政策提供信息，并指导支持 LGBTQ+ 父母家庭的临床实践。
