Pride Camp: Pilot study of an intervention to develop resilience and self-esteem among LGBTQ youth

International Journal for Equity in Health

Linda M. Wesp¹  Patricia Stevens¹  Hui Xie²  Lance S. Weinhardt²  Maren Hawkins²  Sarah DeGeorge³  Jeanette Martín³  Jennifer (Jen) Murray³  Caleb B. Weinhardt⁴ 

[1] College of Nursing, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee;Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee;Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Transgender (LGBT) Resource Center, Division of Student Affairs, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee;Lewis & Clark College;

关键词: Youth camp;    Resilience;    Community connections;    LGBTQ youth;    Transgender youth;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12939-021-01488-1

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Background Many LGBTQ youth experience rejection and discrimination in their families and schools, and the range of interventions for improving their resilience and well-being is limited. We developed and piloted an LGBTQ-youth-focused intervention to build resilience and promote health equity, called Pride Camp, in an urban environment in the Midwest. Methods Using a mixed-method approach we examined the impact of Pride Camp on resilience and other measures of well-being among LGBTQ high school students who attended camp on a college campus in 2015, 2016, and 2017. Camp attendees and the research sample included a majority proportion of transgender and gender nonbinary (TGN) youth. Results Pre- and post-test data from our quantitative surveys (n = 28), indicated significant increases in resilience, self-esteem, and quality of life in LGBTQ youth who attended camp. Similar results were found among the TGN participants (n = 19). Qualitative data from focus groups indicated that specifically for TGN youth, the affirming environment at the camp provided social opportunities that they had not found elsewhere. Conclusions Findings suggest that the Pride Camp intervention provides a platform for LGBTQ youth to meet peers and engage in LGBTQ communities, improving their resilience and outlook on the future. A larger controlled study of the Pride Camp intervention including measurement of additional specific health outcomes over a longer follow-up period is warranted to examine the impact of this program on health equity.

【 授权许可】

Unknown