The Understanding Ourselves Study is an ongoing mixed methods study examining the identity development process of Black queer men. The goals of this study are to (1) understand what healthy identity looks like among Black queer men and (2) examine which experiences facilitate or hinder the identity development process among this group.

This project explores the experiences of Black queer people and their family members related to the sexual identity disclosure process. We are recruiting 70 pairs of Black sexual minority individuals and one of their family members. If you would like to participate, please scan the QR code above or go to the following link: https://www.tinyurl.com/blackfamilystudy

Savoring is the capacity to attend to experiences and to intentionally engage in thoughts and behaviors to regulate positive feelings that arise from those experiences. Given the dearth of research examining savoring among LGBTQ+ individuals, the purpose of this project is to explore the relationships between this psychological strength, minority stress, identity, and health.

More than one-third of LGBTQ+ adults identify as living with a chronic condition; however, there is scant data available about the intersectional experience of LGBTQ+ individuals living with ADHD. Given this gap in the literature and overlapping interests, Dr. Smith’s ACCTION lab and the RISE lab launched a cross-sectional survey battery to explore this intersectional experience.

Media shapes how society perceives the world and influences behavior. Television and social media can communicate and reinforce social attitudes about LGBTQ+ individuals, stigma, and ideals about mental health. As such, the RISE lab is interested in understanding the influence of popular queer media on individuals. In Spring 2022, we launched a content analysis of queer media.

This study employs a person-centered quantitative approach in that survey data will be utilized to identify patterns in how BSMM group, or “cluster,” together according to key areas related to identity threat and trauma, as identified by the Stigma-Induced Identity Threat Model (SIITM; Major & O’Brien, 2005). The primary hypothesis is that distinct clusters of BSMM will emerge based on their scores on the collection of survey measures, which align with different aspects of the SIITM.