Enhancing Interpersonal Intimacy in Colombian Gay Men Using Functional Analytic Psychotherapy: An Experimental Nonconcurrent Multiple Baseline Design

Abstract

A growing body of research suggests that rejection sensitivity, a form of interpersonal guardedness associated with familial rejection and societal bias, is a transdiagnostic risk factor for anxiety and mood disorders in gay men. From a behavioral perspective, rejection sensitivity is conceptualized as avoidance of intimacy as the result of systematic social punishment of vulnerable behaviors. Despite the implications of rejection sensitivity for psychological well-being, clinical psychology lacks specific behavioral interventions for emotional intimacy at the level of the individual. Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) is a therapeutic approach developed to enhance interpersonal behaviors that promote intimacy and closeness through identification of, and contingent responding to, clinically relevant behaviors.A nonconcurrent between-participants design examined the effectiveness of 4 to 8 sessions of FAP on reducing intimacy-avoiding behaviors and increasing intimacy-promoting behaviors in three Colombian gay men.FAP implementation yielded significant increases in intimacy promoting behaviors (β = 65.65, S.E. = 11.48, p = .0004) with a large effect size calculated by the between-case standardized mean difference (BC-SMD (17.01) = 1.66, CI [0.69–2.73]). The increase in intimacy-promoting behaviors occurred without evidence for reduction or elimination of intimacy-avoiding behaviors.Recommendations for future research include (1) the implementation of longitudinal intensive studies to capture participants' out-of-session behavioral changes and (2) further research to determine FAP’s effectiveness for increasing intimacy-promoting behaviors among other sexual or gender minority individuals.