Social Support–Seeking Strategies on Social Media at the Intersection of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Identity, Race, and Ethnicity: Insights for Intervention From a Qualitative Study (Preprint)

Abstract

BACKGROUND Sexual and gender minorities experience a disproportionately higher prevalence of mental health challenges when compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Moreover, they exhibit increased engagement with social media platforms relative to their peers. Understanding the intersectional dynamics of their identities is crucial in elucidating effective and safe approaches to garner social support through social media channels. This exploration holds significance in informing future research endeavors and shaping targeted interventions to address the unique mental health needs of sexual and gender minorities. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to explore the strategies used by Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic White sexual and gender minority young adults, to acquire social support from online social media. The study aimed to examine how these strategies may differ by race and ethnicity. METHODS We conducted semi-structured interviews with sexual and gender minority young adults aged 18-30 years recruited nationally from social media. Of 52 participants, 23% were Black, 23% Hispanic, and 54% non-Hispanic White. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the collected data. RESULTS The analysis uncovered both divergent and convergent strategies among participants of different races/ethnicity. Black and Hispanic young adults exhibited a preference for connecting with individuals who shared similar identities, seeking safety and tailored advice. Conversely, non-Hispanic White participants demonstrated minimal preference for identity-based advice. Seeking support from anonymous sources emerged as a strategy to avoid unwanted disclosure among Hispanic participants. Furthermore, all participants emphasized the importance of content filtering with family members to cultivate positive and supportive social media experiences. CONCLUSIONS This study sheds light on the strategies employed by sexual and gender minority individuals of different racial/ethnic backgrounds to seek social support from online social media platforms. The findings underscore the importance of considering race and ethnicity when examining social support-seeking behaviors on social media in SGM populations. The identified strategies provide valuable insights for the development of interventions that aim to leverage social support from social media to benefit the mental health of Black, Hispanic and non-Hispanic White sexual and gender minority young adults.