Electronic Poster Abstract:

While acceptance of LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and otherwise non-heterosexual, non-cisgender) people has increased over time, concerns about LGBTQ+ mental health are still pressing. A growing body of literature on LGBTQ+ youth and emerging adults has revealed the negative impacts of interpersonal, community, social, and structural biases on LGBTQ+ young peoples’ rates of anxiety, depression (c)PTSD, suicidality, and maladaptive coping behaviors (such as tobacco and alcohol use). While research on risk factors abounds, there is a lack of understanding of the full range of protective factors involved. One promising emerging field is that of complementary health practices and resilience; a majority of this work focuses on integrating traditional modalities with CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine). These interventions aim to foster greater awareness of present moment experience and help people to better manage their life experiences and responsibilities. 

Through relationship with an LGBTQ+ community organization dedicated to youth services this project piloted a six-session summer program series that integrated the feminist relational advocacy model of healing with nature-based therapeutic modalities and the built environment. These sessions, which were called “Queer Mondays in the Garden”, consisted of guided gardening activities (such as planting wildflowers, harvesting crops, and pruning), a shared dinner, and an expert facilitated resilience activity based on predetermined themes (e.g., teamwork/community-building, self-efficacy/leadership, self-awareness/attunement, and growth/transformation). Resilience activities included mind-body movement, meditation and mindfulness, wild food foraging, creative writing, and community-building. These interventions are an innovative and new extension of previous complementary and integrative health research, as almost no work has examined the healing and thriving benefits of urban and community agricultural spaces. Though most LGBTQ+ health promotion research to date has focused on increasing cultural competency in traditional health care venues such to increase utilization rates among LGBTQ+ individuals, CAM approaches are a valuable alternative avenue of study. 

Using the 14-item Mental Health Continuum Short Form (MHC-SF; Keyes, 2005)), the results show average wellbeing scores increased for each individual item and for the 14 items in total (statistically significant with a moderate effect size). However, not a single youth/emerging adult who came to Queer Mondays in the Garden was “flourishing” based on the minimum thresholds established by the MHC-SF. Qualitative feedback highlights multiple benefits to participants, such as a greater sense of self-efficacy through skill building, and increased somatosensation through movement and meditation practices. These findings show a clear need for regular resilience programming, continued intentional use of public green spaces, and attention to the specific mechanisms that might increase the likelihood of flourishing for LGBTQ+ youth and emerging adults.

In sum, this proposed project is not simply innovative, it also directly: aims to improve care for hard-to-manage symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and PTSD using real world evidence-based methodologies; fosters health promotion and health resilience for diverse, marginalized populations; focuses on health systems integration by examining healthcare-based, community-based, employer-based, and school-based application sites; and utilizes interdisciplinary collaborations, through multiple programs, schools, centers, and community organizations, to enhance complementary health research.

You can register to view this poster, and other workshops, on demand (virtually) now through August 1, 2021.