Category: LGBQT+
Kirsty Clark, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
Skyler Jackson, Ph.D.
Associate Research Scientist
Yale School of Public Health
Brooklyn, New York
Kirsty Clark, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, Tennessee
Raymond Tucker, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Carey Candrian, Ph.D.
Univerity of Colorado School of Medicine
Denver, Colorado
Rachael Nolan, M.P.H., Ph.D., Other
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Cincinnati, Ohio
Bereavement is a difficult yet inevitable aspect of life. For sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults, the causes and consequences of bereavement may be especially challenging. For example, the social patterning of SGM adults’ lives may disproportionately expose them to stigmatized losses, including suicide, which is associated with shame, guilt, and isolation. Relatedly, SGM adults who experience end-of-life caregiving and/or partner bereavement may face discriminatory treatment, further complicating bereavement experiences. Few studies have investigated how stigma-related contexts may affect SGM adults’ bereavement experiences, hampering clear understanding of optimal treatments and supportive interventions to prevent prolonged grief and associated psychological sequelae.
In line with this year’s convention theme, “Emergency & Disaster Preparedness and Response: Using Cognitive and Behavioral Science to Make an Impact,” this symposium will present novel quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research to elucidate the unique and challenging aspects of bereavement, end-of-life caregiving, and suicide exposure among SGM adults. Importantly, this symposium will highlight future directions for cognitive-behavioral science and psychological, interpersonal, and structural interventions to reduce negative mental health outcomes among bereaved SGM adults.
To illustrate sexual orientation differences in suicide exposure and suicide-related emotional distress, the first presenter will present findings from a nationally representative study (N=1281) of US adults. Then, the second presenter will describe the psychological effects of suicide exposure for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) adults from a national online survey of TGD adults (N=2784). Next, two studies will investigate how end-of-life caregiving and partner bereavement can be uniquely challenging experiences for SGM adults. One will present findings on vulnerabilities and discriminatory experiences in end-of-life caregiving of older SGM adults (N=30). Then, another will present results from a mixed-methods analysis of the effect of partner bereavement on interpersonal relationships and subsequent partnerships among SGM adults (N=29). Finally, the symposium discussant will draw upon both clinical and research expertise in stigma coping and mental health intervention with SGM adults to synthesize the findings and highlight directions for future research.
This symposium showcases the forefront of research focused on the bereavement experiences of SGM adults, an understudied topic that represents a glaring gap in SGM cognitive-behavioral science, especially in the context of an ongoing pandemic, war, and suicide epidemic. This symposium will shed light on the unique challenges faced by SGM adults grieving or anticipating the loss of a loved one and offer evidence-based insight on how mental health professionals can prepare for and respond to grief in a stigmatized population.
Presenter: Kirsty A. Clark, Ph.D. – Vanderbilt University
Co-author: Joseph Sexton, None – Vanderbilt University
Co-author: Tara McKay, PhD – Vanderbilt University
Presenter: Raymond P. Tucker, Ph.D. – Louisiana State University
Co-author: Julie Cerel, PhD – University of Kentucky
Co-author: Alix Aboussouan, BS – Louisiana State University
Co-author: Annie Snow, PhD – University of Kentucky
Presenter: Carey Candrian, Ph.D. – Univerity of Colorado School of Medicine
Presenter: Rachael D. Nolan, M.P.H., Ph.D., Other – University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Co-author: Chelsea Kirkland, MPH – Kent State University
Co-author: Ronald Davis, PhD – Youngstown State University