Development and Preliminary Trial of a Brief, Portable Health Intervention for Rural Sexual Minority Emerging Adults

This study is considered the third part ("Phase 3") of a larger study where parts one and two
were designed to utilize elicitation focus groups to develop effective intervention materials
(Phase 1) and then refine the developed materials through structured interviews (Phase 2).
Phase 3 will test feasibility and assess early signs of efficacy of writing interventions. To
do this, participants will be randomized to one of three arms (one arm will serve as
control). Those that choose to participate will be asked to complete outcome measures
(depressive symptoms, suicidality, use of alcohol and illicit drugs, HIV risk behavior) and
measures of proposed mediators (self-reported and biological stress, behavioral and emotional
self-regulation) and moderators (e.g., social support, identity centrality) at baseline,
post-intervention, and three-month follow-up. In addition, structured interviews with 15
intervention participants will be used to refine study procedures as the investigators scale
up this intervention for a future randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Inclusion Criteria:

- Self-identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual

- Live in Washington county, Tennessee (TN), or any of its 6 contiguous counties in
northeastern TN

- Have personal Internet access

- Hair at least 2cm in length

Exclusion Criteria:

- Failure to meet inclusion criteria