Abstract

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) promotes sexual and mental health risk reduction. Tailored affirmative approaches, where facilitators validate participants’ lived experiences, can bolster CBT’s potential to improve coping and mood, especially for sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY). Specialized training better prepares clinicians to deliver affirmative CBT and contributes to implementation fidelity. This paper describes a standardized facilitator training for clinicians to deliver an affirmative CBT group intervention to SGMY. The AFFIRM training consists of fourteen hours of didactic and simulation-based learning. Study participants (n = 129) represented diverse professional, sexual, gender, and ethnoracial identities with a particular focus on community-based practitioners. To evaluate training effectiveness, The Affirmative CBT Facilitator Competence Scale (ACCS; 7-items, α = 0.922), designed for this study was completed by participants. Paired sample t-tests showed a significant difference between pre (M = 18.14, SD = 5.90) and post training scores (M = 25.97, SD = 6.34); t(128) = −16.21, p < .001). Thematic analysis of qualitative feedback identified two major themes strengthened ability to affirm SGMY identities and increased competence to deliver AFFIRM. The training increased the skills of a diverse group of clinicians to facilitate affirmative CBT to SGMY.

摘要

认知行为疗法（CBT）有助于减少性和心理健康风险。量身定制的平权方法可帮助参与者验证参与者的生活经验，可以增强CBT改善应对和情绪的潜力，尤其是对于性少数和性少数年轻人（SGMY）而言。经过专门培训的医生可以更好地为临床医生提供肯定的CBT做准备，并有助于实现保真度。本文介绍了针对临床医生的标准化辅导员培训，以向SGMY提供积极的CBT小组干预。AFFIRM培训包括14个小时的基于教学和模拟的学习。研究参与者（n = 129）代表了多种职业，性别，性别和民族身份，尤其着重于社区实践者。为了评估培训效果， 参与者完成了为本研究设计的肯定性CBT促进者能力量表（ACCS； 7个项目，α = 0.922）。配对样本t检验显示 ， 训练前（M = 18.14，SD = 5.90）和训练后分数（M  = 25.97，SD  = 6.34）之间存在显着差异；t（128）= -16.21，p<.001）。定性反馈的主题分析确定了两个主要主题，这些主题增强了确认SGMY身份的能力并增强了提供AFFIRM的能力。培训提高了各种临床医生的技能，以促进对SGMY的肯定性CBT。