Science
The Lavender Lab: Using the Power of Youth Voices to Improve LGBTQ Health
Against the backdrop of a gloomy Saturday morning, community-based organizations and agencies gathered for 鈥淟eading with Pride鈥 at Van Ness Elementary School, an event hosted by DC Public Schools. They shared one purpose鈥攖o provide a safe place for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth and connect them to resources and knowledge to support their health, education, and well-being. As the research coordinator in the Department of Health Studies, and a previous graduate of the Health Promotion Management master鈥檚 program, I had the pleasure of being able to attend the event with 麻豆传媒鈥檚 Lavender Lab. The mood was light and cheery, and the room was filled with bright rainbow-colored decorations. At 30-minute intervals, the loud clamor of the fair was interrupted by spoken word and vocal performances. These performances were full of hope and pride, but also provided honest, personal narratives that served as a reminder
of the importance of the event.
The Lavender Lab is a new research lab in the Department of Health Studies, College of Arts and Sciences at AU. The lab seeks to produce and disseminate knowledge to better understand and reduce sexual orientation, gender identity, and racial/ethnic disparities in health. More specifically, the Lavender Lab conducts research on the psychological and social determinants of health for LGBTQ individuals and racial/ethnic minorities. Given that members of stigmatized minority groups frequently experience unique stressors associated with their identity, including real or perceived discrimination, violence, and internalized stigma, the lab is particularly interested in minority individuals鈥 experiences with stigma and its effects on mental health including depression, anxiety, suicidality, and substance use. As director of the Lavender Lab, it is the goal of Ethan Mereish, assistant professor in the Department of Health Studies at 麻豆传媒, to conceptualize and examine these experiences to identify factors that may serve as protective or resilience promoting against stigma. A psychologist by training, Mereish joined AU as a tenure-track faculty member in 2015 after receiving his PhD in counseling psychology from Boston College, completing a clinical psychology residency at Harvard Medical School, and a postdoctoral research fellowship at Brown University. Mereish is currently a principal investigator of three NIH-funded studies examining the effects of stigma and on mental health and substance of LGBTQ youth and adults.
Currently, the Lavender Lab is recruiting youth who identify as LGBTQ between the ages of 12 and 18 for the TRUTH Study. To better understand their experiences with stigma, resilience, and well-being, every day for 21 days, participants receive a link to a survey that asks about their experiences in the last 24 hours. Promoting the TRUTH study was the primary reason the Lavender Lab attended Leading with Pride. To attract youth to our resource table, we prepared a spinner prize wheel with popular LGBTQ 鈥渟lang鈥 associated with prizes. Our spinner wheel was a big success鈥攜outh and adults were eager to take a spin!
As I meet to enroll LGBTQ youth for the TRUTH study, I鈥檓 continuing to find that LGBTQ youth are very interested in our research. Already at such a young age, they have stories to tell; they have voices and experiences that affect their mood and well-being, which inspire their resilience. They have been harassed, threatened, and invalidated because of their identity. They understand that research on LGBTQ youth health is sparse and they are eager to participate in research relevant to themselves and other members in the LGBTQ community. Recently, we鈥檝e seen youth at the forefront of our nation鈥檚 most pressing issues. I see the TRUTH study as a continuation of that theme鈥攗tilizing the power and resonance of youth voices and experiences to understand and build upon LGBTQ health research.
After the resource fair concluded, the youth workshops began. As I was leaving, I heard parts of an interactive icebreaker encouraging youth to get to know each other and chant positive affirmations. I felt encouraged by the love and support showcased at Leading with Pride. I also know that there is still more work to be done. Some recent research has shown an increase in hate crimes and violence against LGBTQ individuals. Mereish鈥檚 research is timely and reflects the amazing work being done in the department of health studies to improve health and reduce health disparities. Stay tuned for more work coming from the Lavender Lab!
If you are an 麻豆传媒 student who is interested in getting involved with the Lavender Lab, please contact Mereish at mereish@american.edu.