Treatment Goals of Sexual Minority Men in LGBTQ-Affirmative CBT

Abstract

Sexual minority men seek out mental health treatment at approximately twice the rate of the general population, with minority stress being the most likely explanation for this population’s heightened mental and behavioral health concerns and associated treatment seeking. However, little research identifies sexual minority men’s mental health treatment goals, thereby potentially hindering tailored treatment development and clinicians’ preparation. The present study qualitatively identifies treatment goals among 94 ethnically diverse, majority cisgender sexual minority men who participated in a trial of LGBTQ-affirmative CBT. Analyses identified 44 unique treatment goals across 10 themes (e.g., Increase Affirmation and Acceptance of Sexual Minority Identity, Address Instant Gratification as a Form of Coping). Results highlight the relevance of this population’s sexual minority identities and associated stressors to their treatment goals, prepare clinicians to expect to address these goals when working with sexual minority men, extend existing goal taxonomies to consider this population’s distinct treatment needs, and highlight the importance of goal-driven evidence-based practice for this population.