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Affirmative Family and Individual Psychotherapy for Sexual and Gender Minority Adults and Their Nonaccepting Parents

Who can join

Ages 20 and older · All sexes

Inclusion Criteria:

* be 20 and older
* be fluent in English
* self-identify as lesbian, bisexual, queer, pansexual, or other non-heterosexual identity
* currently experience elevated depressive or anxiety symptoms (screened initially using a cutoff of ≥ 2.5 on the Brief Symptom Inventory-4 and further confirmed by the BDI and BAI).
* report at least moderate levels of parental rejection or low levels of parental acceptance, as measured using the PARSOS.
* have at least one rejecting/nonaccepting parent that agrees to participate in the therapy.
* live in New York State, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, or Israel.

Exclusion Criteria:

* report current mental health treatment ≥1 day/month (except for medication management ≤1 day/week)
* report beginning a new medication within the past 30 days
* exhibit active psychosis or active mania, as assessed by the SCID-Psych Screen.
* exhibit active suicidality or active homicidality, as assessed by the SIDAS
* be currently legally mandated to attend treatment
* demonstrate gross cognitive impairment, as assessed with the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status
* do not have a parent willing to participate

About the study

The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of an LGBTQ-affirmative individual cognitive behavioral psychotherapy (CBT) and LGBTQ-affirmative family therapy (attachment-based family therapy for sexual and gender minority young adults; ABFT-SGM) delivered via telehealth to a sample of sexual and gender minority adults with nonaccepting parent(s) in New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Israel. The investigators will assess whether both treatments are associated with significant decreases in depressive and anxiety symptoms. The investigators will also assess whether and how each treatment achieves reductions in mental health symptoms through specific mechanisms (e.g., rejection sensitivity, internalized stigma, emotion dysregulation, parental rejection and acceptance).

What is being tested

• LGBTQ-affirmative CBT (behavioral)
• ABFT-SGM (behavioral)

Sponsor: Yale University · Participants: 124 · Started: Aug 13, 2024

Contact the study team

• John E Pachankis, PhD · Phone: 646-429-9407
• Danielle M Chiaramonte, PhD · Phone: 708-334-8331

Official record on ClinicalTrials.gov — NCT05766592

Locations in the U.S.

From ClinicalTrials.gov, data retrieved Sep 30, 2026. Each study sets its own eligibility; the study team decides who can join.