YCSC Viola Bernard Lecture: LGBTQ-affirmative mental health care – From theory to trials to community implementation and global dissemination

Session Description

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals experience among the highest rates of depression, anxiety, substance use problems, and suicidality of any population risk group. Methodologically innovative and rigorous research now shows that this disparity is almost certainly caused by the multiple forms of stigma that SGM individuals experience across the lifespan.

This presentation will review theoretical and empirical advances in psychiatric epidemiology and developmental psychopathology that identify the mechanisms through which stigma compromises SGM people’s mental health that can also serve as promising treatment targets for identity-affirming psychotherapies. The presentation will then discuss the development, application, and efficacy of the first identity-affirmative mental health intervention for SGM individuals to be tested in randomized controlled trials. The talk will conclude by examining promising studies into the implementation of this treatment within SGM-serving settings locally, nationally, and globally with the goal of reducing the barriers to identity-affirming evidence-based treatment that this population has long faced.

The learning objectives for this talk are to:

1. Evaluate the epidemiology of the sexual and gender minority (SGM) population’s mental health in the US by listing the mental and behavioral health problems that disproportionately affect SGM individuals.
2. Assess the major determinants of SGM mental health in the US by defining structural and interpersonal stigma and providing two examples of each.
3. Analyze five behavioral treatment principles and techniques underlying LGBTQ-affirmative evidence-based practice.

Initially scheduled for June 11, 2024, this is a rescheduled session that was unfortunately and abruptly interrupted due to technical difficulties and widespread network issues across campus. Please join for this "re-do" hybrid session, held live and in person from the Cohen Auditorium and simulcast via Zoom.

Continuing Education

This session is approved for Continuing Education Credit (CEC) by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapist, Professional Counselor, and Licensed Psychologist Licensure renewal. This session also meets the requirement for cultural competence. Additional information and instructions for earning CEC for this session will be provided at the live event.

YCSC Grand Rounds are reviewed for eligibility for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits on an annual basis and most lecture-style sessions are approved for the year. Yale School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Individual event designation details are provided at applicable live events.

Part of the Viola W. Bernard Fund for Innovation in Mental Health Care, the annual Viola Bernard Lecture Series addresses social justice and health care equity topics, named in honor of Viola Bernard, MD.