Implementation of Mobile Health Intervention Targeting Belongingness and Burdensomeness: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study of Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors in LGBTQ+ Individuals.

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this paper was to test a mobile health intervention designed to reduce self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in LGBTQ+ individuals. The intervention consisted of brief messages aimed at increasing feelings of belongingness and meaning.

METHOD: We recruited LGBTQ+ individuals (N = 55) with past-month self-injurious thoughts and/or behaviors. Participants completed 14 days of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) of minority stress, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and self-injurious thoughts and behaviors. Then, participants were randomly assigned to receive brief messages designed to instill belongingness and meaning/purpose, or no intervention for 14 days. Then, participants completed an additional 14 days of EMA.

RESULTS

Our results showed that participants in the control condition had significant increases in self-injurious thoughts and planning over time, whereas those in the intervention condition showed no significant change. For self-injurious behavior, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness, there were significant decreases in the intervention condition, but no changes in the control condition.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide support for the interpersonal theory of suicide and indicate a potentially scalable mobile health intervention.

PUBLIC HEALTH SIGNIFICANCE: This paper found evidence that a brief mobile health intervention reduced suicidal and non-suicidal self-injurious thoughts and behaviors among LGBTQ+ individuals.