Pride in Progress: An Online Approach to Boost Sexual and Gender Minority Help-seeking Attitudes and Mental Health Literacy

Abstract

This thesis evaluated an online psychoeducational intervention designed to improve mental health literacy and help-seeking attitudes among sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults. Participants completed baseline measures, viewed a multi-module SGM-affirming psychoeducational program, and then completed post-intervention assessments of literacy, attitudes, and related constructs. Regression analyses indicated that baseline mental health literacy strongly predicted post-intervention literacy, and baseline help-seeking attitudes strongly predicted post-intervention attitudes, whereas prior therapy experience did not significantly contribute to either outcome. The third hypothesis, which examined whether greater gains in mental health literacy would predict more favorable help-seeking attitudes, was not supported, suggesting that changes in literacy did not directly translate into changes in attitudes within this sample. Findings highlight the feasibility of brief, fully online psychoeducational approaches for SGM populations and underscore the need for future longitudinal research assessing whether increased literacy and improved attitudes translate into sustained engagement with affirming mental health care.