The Impact of Social Media Use on LGBTQ Mental Health & Available Online Resources

Rebecca Zeleski

SPCH 252: Communication Inquiry

University of Nebraska at Kearney

 Introduction

Good mental health and being able to have access to mental health and wellness

resources are essential aspects of living a healthy life. Poor mental health can lead to physical

issues and illnesses such as heart attacks and cardiovascular disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer,

sleep disorders, and more. Additionally, being able to access mental health or wellness resources

online or in real life-such as therapy, support groups, community centers, and techniques to

practice mindfulness can help better poor mental health.

With the drastic increase in the prevalence of social media and online platforms, many

can experience a downfall in their mental health due to extended use of social media over time.

While anyone can experience aspects of poor mental health due to increased social media use

and increased online activity, LGBTQ-identifying individuals are more likely to experience

depression and psychological stress due to online harassment and negative experiences online

compared to their heterosexual peers (Escobar-Viera, et. al., 2018).

Additionally, gaining access to mental health resources can be a struggle for members of

the LGBTQ community as where they live might not be accepting of LGBTQ, their family might

not support them, or they have not come out yet, or they might not be able to access available

resources due to their location. To work around this many companies and individuals have

started to offer their wellness resources and support through online platforms or via designated

apps. Apps such as TikTok, Reddit, and Instagram, and LGBTQ dating sites such as HER, Pink

Cupid, and Grinder offer safe spaces for LGBTQ individuals to talk to like-minded peers within

the community to discuss their struggles & experiences, find support regarding their identity,

seek information on relationships, gather knowledge on sexual health, and experiment with their

sexuality (Berger, et al., 2021). Companies such as The Trevor Project, and the LBGTQ National
Help Center offer resources and safe spaces for LGBTQ to discuss their sexual orientation,

access LGBTQ-specific mental health resources, talk about suicide, and access community

resources.

Review of Literature (or Annotated Bibliography)

Escobar-Viera, C. G., Shensa, A., Sidani, J., Primack, B., & Marshal, M. P. (2020). Association

Between LGB Sexual Orientation and Depression Mediated by Negative Social Media

Experiences: National Survey Study of US Young Adults. JMIR Mental Health, 7(12),

e23520–e23520. https://doi.org/10.2196/23520

With increased uses of social media across all ages, decreases in mental health status

have been associated with this drastic increase. The journal Association Between LGB Sexual

Orientation and Depression Mediated by Negative Social Media Experiences: National Survey

Study of US Young Adults assessed the differences in symptoms of depression among both LGB

and non-LGB identifying individuals. They also attempted to determine if negative experiences

online can explain depressive symptoms within LGBs. Using mixed methods, they recruited

participants aged 18-30 years old and gathered various demographic information as well as

information about their lives online. These were assigned sex, age, level of education,

relationship status, living arrangement, sexual orientation, depressive symptoms in the last 14

days, estimated daily time on social media, and their negative experiences online. They found a

strong relationship between LGB orientation and reported depression symptoms. Additionally,

they also discovered that compared to their heterosexual peers LGBs reported having more cases

of negative experiences online. Lastly, they found a small relationship between LGB orientation

and depression and how those factors are associated with negative social media experiences and

recommended that LGB individuals should reduce their negative experiences online to minimize
depressive symptoms. However, they provided no recommendations to mitigate those negative

experiences. Perhaps in future research, we can analyze how different wellness methods help to

manage symptoms of depression among LGB-identifying individuals across all ages.

Escobar-Viera, C. G., Whitfield, D. L., Wessel, C. B., Shensa, A., Sidani, J. E., Brown, A. L.,

Chandler, C. J., Hoffman, B. L., Marshal, M. P., & Primack, B. A. (2018). For Better or

for Worse? A Systematic Review of the Evidence on Social Media Use and Depression

among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Minorities (Preprint).

https://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.10496

For many years the prevalence of technology and social media has been rapidly expanding

in many forms. In 2003 came Myspace, followed by Facebook in 2004, Twitter in 2007, and

many more. With new forms of social media came many individuals wanting to explore a new

platform. While social media harbored many resources for LGBTQ individuals it also created a

downfall in their mental health. The journal JMIR Mental Health aimed to analyze various

journals regarding LGB mental health using social media. Using qualitative methodology, they

gathered 1,259 journals using a system of keywords and phrases. They randomly assigned a set

number of journals to each researcher allowing them to screen and assess them for their

eligibility, based on their set criteria, until the number of journals reached 11. The study found

not only that LGBs used social media to seek online support, but they also found that it showed

an increased rate of both depression and psychological stress compared to heterosexuals who use

social media. This analysis can help other researchers including myself understand how LGBTQ

individuals are susceptible to a decrease in their mental health due to online harassment,

bullying, and more.

 Berger, M. N., Taba, M., Marino, J. L., Lim, M. S. C., & Skinner, S. R. (2022). Social Media

Use and Health and Well-being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer

Youth: Systematic Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(9), e38449–e38449.

https://doi.org/10.2196/38449

LGBTQ youths are susceptible to mental health issues due to increased activity online.

An online journal from the Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) sought to identify how

the use of social media for LGBTQ youths affects their mental health and well-being. This study

used qualitative research methods and gathered their data by compiling a list of records that fit

their criteria for the study: age of participants 10-24, specific to LGBTQ populations, included

social media use, explored the connection among peers, and had to have a specific publishing

date and been written in English. They separated their findings into three key categories: identity

development, peer connection, and social support. The analysis concluded that while the use of

social media can be beneficial to LGBTQ in being able to find social support and safe spaces

regardless of location as well as an increased need to belong, it was also found that the use of

social media can result in negative mental health issues such as loneliness and increased

emotional sensitivity. Social media can be both a benefactor and a diminisher of LGBTQ mental

health by allowing youth to build a sense of identity and form online support. Still, they can also

open up youth to harassment and bullying.

Nelson, R., Robards, B., Churchill, B., Vivienne, S., Byron, P., & Hanckel, B. (2023). Social

media use among bisexuals and pansexuals: connection, harassment, and mental health.

Culture, Health & Sexuality, 25(6), 711–727.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13691058.2022.2092213
 LGBTQ+ youths and adults face hardships and struggles when trying to find a

community that supports their sexuality and gender identity. However, both bisexual and

pansexual individuals struggle the most in the community to find a sense of support. A study

conducted by Richard Nelson et al. aimed to identify the main social pressures and mental health

issues that pansexual and bisexual individuals face when using social media platforms. Using

qualitative methods, they gathered participants aged 16-35 to understand the differences in media

use across ages and asked them a series of questions via a national survey. The purpose of their

questionnaire was to answer four main questions: what reasons they had behind using social

media, who they connect with most online, what experiences they had with harassment, and how

they identified their mental health. With the results that they received regarding lesbian and gay

(LG) compared to bisexual and pansexual (BP), they noted three main findings. These being that

both LG and BP shared similar reasons behind using social media and the connections that they

made with the difference being in who they connected with. The second was that bisexual and

pansexual participants experienced elevated experiences on all forms of social media. Lastly,

bisexual, and pansexual participants reported lower mental health compared to lesbian and gay

participants. With this research, we can further test and explain why certain sexualities within the

LGBTQ+ community experience harassment and discrimination.

Escobar-Viera, C. G., Shensa, A., Sidani, J., Primack, B., & Marshal, M. P. (2020). Association

Between LGB Sexual Orientation and Depression Mediated by Negative Social Media

Experiences: National Survey Study of US Young Adults. JMIR Mental Health, 7(12),

e23520–e23520. https://doi.org/10.2196/23520

Depression among LGBs can arise from many factors. An article in the journal JMIR

Mental Health aimed to assess the potential negative influences that LGBs experience on social
media and depression. Using mixed methods, they performed a national survey of young adults

in the United States ages 18-30. After pre-testing the survey, they sent the survey out nationally

asking about the participants’ basic demographics, their sexual orientation, their depressive

symptoms over the last 2 weeks, their daily usage time of social media, and their negative

experiences online. They found a direct relationship between LGB orientation and increased

depression scores. As a result of their research, they also found that social rejection,

victimization, and internalized homophobia impact their coping skills and the support that they

gain buffers the various negative impacts on their mental well-being. They also found that the

LGB respondents had higher scores in negative media experiences within the last year than their

heterosexual peers. Lastly, they found that depression symptoms as a result of negative online

experiences were indirectly related to participant’s sexual orientation. Using the information

gathered from this study we can further assess how not only negative online experiences impact

mental health but also how this impact varies between LGB-identifying and heterosexual

individuals. In the future, we can test if other factors might contribute to this decrease in mental

health such as familial history of mental health issues and environmental factors.

Ceglarek, P. J. D., & Ward, L. M. (2016). A tool for help or harm? How associations between

social networking use, social support, and mental health differ for sexual minority and

heterosexual youth. Computers in Human Behavior, 65, 201–209.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.07.051

Mental health can vary between individuals that have varying usage levels of social

media. However, mental health can also differ between LGB youth and heterosexual youth when

using social media. A study conducted by Peter Cehlarek and Monique Ward aimed to highlight

the relationship between sexual minority youth’s use of social media and their mental health,
sexual identity, and perceived social support. Using quantitative methods, Cehlarek and Ward

gathered their participants recruiting them from LGBTQ support groups and organizations, and

later sent the participants a survey. They narrowed down the participants to be between the ages

of 18 and 24, participants could be of any sexual identity, as well as any race. This survey asked

questions regarding their demographics-age, parent’s education, and religiosity- variables within

their use of social media- frequency of use, number of used sites, what they used the site for,

discrimination experience, and their dependency- and lastly, how they assessed their mental

health-loneliness, anxiety, depression, etc. They found that both LGB and heterosexual youths

used social media at similar rates, LGBs indicated that they used social media to aid in identity

development and social communication. Using social media sites to explore and express identity

resulted in negative mental health conditions, whereas using media to develop sexual identity

resulted in positive mental health conditions. This study helps provide other researchers and me a

greater understanding of how social media use can impact the mental health of LGB youths as

well as how different sexualities use different sites for differing reasons.

Craig, & McInroy, L. (2014). You Can Form a Part of Yourself Online: The Influence of New

Media on Identity Development and Coming Out for LGBTQ Youth. Journal of Gay &

Lesbian Mental Health, 18(1), 95–109. https://doi.org/10.1080/19359705.2013.777007

With the rise of varying forms of social media LGBTQ youth can develop their identity as

well as develop and identify ways to come out due to their use of supportive platforms. This

study conducted by Shelly Craig and Lauren McInroy aims to study the influences that today’s

media can have on the coming out process of LGBTQ and how it also helps develop LGBTQ

identity. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, they gathered the data from selected
participants by conducting questionnaires that asked about their gender, age, race, level of

education, sexual orientation, media use, and status in society. After these questionnaires, they

scheduled phone interviews where they asked more open-ended questions. They found five

common themes that influenced the development of LGBTQ individuals. These common themes

all helped facilitate the opportunity to have access to certain resources, helped LGB explore

online identities and find likeness, helped them come out online, and helped expand their online

identities to real life. This study is important in that it shows how social media can be very

beneficial to helping LGBTQ come out both online and in real life as well as help them develop

aspects of their identity.

Berger, M. N., Taba, M., Marino, J. L., Lim, M. S., Cooper, S. C., Lewis, L., Albury, K., Chung,

K. S., Bateson, D., & Skinner, S. R. (2021). Social Media’s role in support networks

among LGBTQ ADOLESCENTS: A qualitative study. Sexual Health, 18(5), 421–431.

https://doi.org/10.1071/sh21110

In today’s day and age, the use of social media can offer safe spaces and vast support

networks for LGBTQ youth. In the journal Sexual Health, the goal of the journal was to

investigate how LGBTQ youth have formed support networks online. In this study, they used

mixed methods to gather their information and presented their finding qualitatively. 30 LGBTQ

individuals who used social media from ages 14-17 were gathered and participated in semi-

structured interviews aimed at gathering what information they were sharing online as well as

their demographic information. They found that LGBTQ adolescents used social media to

connect to like-minded people, to find support for identity and wellbeing support, and to gain

knowledge about sexual health as well as seek information on relationships. Having access to
social media made these common topics easily accessible. While information was easy to gather

for LGB youths they also shared that they often faced discrimination and harassment throughout

their use of the platforms. Access to various forms of support in social media is a lifesaver for

some LGBTQ adolescents and this journal provides an in-depth look into the situation and can

help others understand why media access is essential for this minority.

Chan, R. C. H. (2023a). Benefits and risks of LGBT social media use for sexual and gender

minority individuals: An investigation of psychosocial mechanisms of LGBT social media

use and well-being. Computers in Human Behavior, 139, 107531.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2022.107531

LGBT individuals have various access to forms of LGBT-specific social media sites

(Grinder, Scruff, HER, Butterfly, etc.) that allow individuals to make connections and share

content within their community. Whether using these platforms to satisfy personal needs or just

to establish connections, studies have identified various benefits and risks. Some are an increase

in perceived social support, lower self-esteem, psychological distress, and a dependency on

social media. The study performed by the Journal of Computers in Human Behavior identified

their main purpose to examine the relationship between LGBT-specific media on the well-being

of LGBTs. Using mixed methods they gathered 610 LGBT from various LGBT-friendly spaces

in Hong Kong aged 16+. Using a Likert scale participants were asked to identify how often they

were on LGBT platforms, their emotional attachment to social media, internalized stigmas

present, loneliness, their connectedness within the community, and to rate their emotional well-

being. They found that the use of social media had both positive and negative effects on

participants' mental health, leading to larger connectedness in the community and a better sense
of well-being. It was also found that the association between negative mental health and social

media use was more credited to their level of loneliness and intensity of internalized stigmas.

With the information that was gathered from this study, we can move to further evaluate how

LGBT-specific social media plays a role in LGBTs' daily lives. We can also further test to

confirm that the relationship between dissatisfaction with social media is due to internalized

stigmas, loneliness, and potentially more factors.

McConnell, E. A., Clifford, A., Korpak, A. K., Phillips, G., & Birkett, M. (2017). Identity,

victimization, and support: Facebook experiences and mental health among LGBTQ youth.

Computers in Human Behavior, 76, 237–244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.07.026

Facebook is one of the most common and popular forms of social media across all ages

and allows individuals of all backgrounds to communicate with each other. The study conducted

by Elizabeth McConnel, Antonia Clifford, Aaron Korpak, Gregory Phillips, and Michelle Kirkett

was performed to analyze the effects on LGBTQ mental health while using Facebook. Using

quantitative methods, they collected data from gathered participants by analyzing their use of

Facebook, their integration on the platform, levels of outness, social support,

cyberbullying/victimization levels, and overall psychological distress. After analyzing the results

from the survey, they found that many LGBTQ created separate accounts and set up privacy

controls to manage their identity online. They found that while victimization is a high predictor

of stress, cyberbullying had a larger effect and that levels of social support from family and

friends and online support had little impact on psychological distress. Using this data regarding

the specific impact of just one form of media can help others better acknowledge and compare

how other forms of media can affect LGBTQ youths and adults and how they interact online.
Han, X., Han, W., Qu, J., Li, B., & Zhu, Q. (2019). What happens online stays online? ——

Social media dependency, online support behavior, and offline effects for LGBT.

Computers in Human Behavior, 93, 91–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.12.011

With the new technology coming out every year everyone has various ways to access

different platforms of social media online. With this access, LGBT youth and adults are at an

increased risk of developing a dependency on social media or other online platforms. A study by

Xi Han et al. investigated this dependency and whether it can positively affect LGBT in China.

They hypothesized that these effects could vary anywhere from a change in mental health, to

perceived online support. Using qualitative research methods, they gathered their data by using

online surveys, that included Likert Scales, on participating LGBT members ages 13-58.

Additionally, they gathered 5 Weibo users, Weibo being an online social platform, to help

answer their questions. They found four key results of their study that form a linear pattern. The

first is that bad mental health has a positive relationship to LGBT’s dependency on social media.

Second, this dependency is related to the amount of online support/offering that is being

provided. These support activities have a positive correlation with perceived online support, and

this perception has no relationship to the mental health of social media. Social media dependency

and LGBT mental health is an important topic that needs more research. New and popular social

media platforms can cause a rise in social media dependency in youths globally and this

addiction can affect their mental health.

Escobar-Viera, C. G., Choukas-Bradley, S., Sidani, J., Maheux, A. J., Roberts, S. R., & Rollman,

B. L. (2022). Examining Social Media Experiences and Attitudes Toward Technology-

Based Interventions for Reducing Social Isolation Among LGBTQ Youth Living in Rural
 United States: An Online Qualitative Study. Frontiers in Digital Health, 4, 900695–

900695. https://doi.org/10.3389/fdgth.2022.900695

Social isolation has been linked to physical and mental health issues such as increased

levels of depression, suicidal tendencies, and even cardiovascular disease. Increased risks for

isolation can arise due to the area one lives in, and even if their sexual identity does not match or

conform to their cultural/societal norms. Compared to their heterosexual identifying peers

LGBTQ youth living in more rural areas are at an increased risk of experiencing social isolation

and the associated health risks. However, an article in the Frontiers in Digital Health journal

aimed to identify the experiences and attitudes that LGBTQ youth living in rural areas have

toward technological interventions aimed at reducing perceived levels of social isolation. Using

qualitative methods, they recruited participants by advertising the survey on social media

platforms such as Instagram and Facebook and limited their ads to rural zip codes. Interested

participants were screened by their age, sexuality, usage levels of media, zip code, and spoken

language. Once they met the qualifications participants were invited to an online interview where

they asked about their social media experiences, what strategies they used to improve their

online experiences, and the pros and cons of different online platforms. They found three main

themes: lack of feedback from peers on one’s experiences reduced perceived levels of support,

mainly positive representations and connections with online LGBTQ groups are important, and

communication of shared experiences from peers increases perceived levels of support. Using

the information gathered from this study we can learn and assess how technology and social

media use can be advantageous towards the mental health and perceived isolation of LGBTQ

youths living in areas where their community might not support them or do not have access to

support systems.
Saha, K., Kim, S. C., Reddy, M., Carter, A., Sharma, E., Haimson, O., & De Choudhury, M.

(2019). The Language of LGBTQ+ Minority Stress Experiences on Social Media.

Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction, 3(CSCW), 1–22.

https://doi.org/10.1145/3361108

Social media and online platforms offer LGBTQ-identifying individuals a safe space to

participate in semi-anonymous discussions about their struggles and experiences. A study

conducted by Koistuv Saha et al. wanted to study LGBTQ minority stress through the posted

discussions of self-experiences in the Reddit community r/lgbt, an online social media platform

used to make semi-anonymous posts. Using mixed methods out of 12.6 thousand posts they

annotated 350 posts on the r/lgbt subreddit on if they contained expressions of minority stress

and indicated three main categories of minority stressors, prejudice events, perceived stigmas,

and internalized homophobia/LGBTphobia. The main results that they found were that most

LGBTQ+ online communities only serve as a safe space and can’t proactively identify risks of

minority stressors. Certain language relating to minority stressors is often flagged by moderators

on these online platforms. Platforms that utilize expressive writing and self-disclosure are

associated with positive therapeutic outcomes due to the user’s ability to rant and share their

experiences. Lastly, they discovered that with the rise of social media and new channels of

communication public health professionals have faced new opportunities and challenges. These

challenges are that LGBTQ individuals are a hard-to-reach population and associated research

tends to oversample the “visible” sections of the hard-to-reach population. From this journal, we

can gather that while social media offers LGBTQ+ identifying individuals a place to safely

communicate their feelings, it does not eliminate their risk of experiencing minority stressors and
in further research, we can test further on aspects that can reduce or potentially eliminate these

risks.

Gillig, T. K. (2020). Longitudinal analysis of depressive symptoms among LGBTQ youth at a

social media-free camp. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Mental Health, 24(4), 360–374.

https://doi.org/10.1080/19359705.2020.1789018

Social media can be harmful to mental health if interacted with for frequent periods

without breaks. This risk can especially be high among LGBTQ youths and adults. This study

conducted by Traci Gillig, studied the effects of depression symptoms on LGBTQ at a social

media-free summer camp. This camp prioritized providing a safe space for its LGBTQ youths.

At camp, they provided gender-free bathrooms, cabins based on age and not assigned gender,

identity-affirming activities, and more. This study used mixed methods and performed two sets

of questionnaires, one before entering camp and one right before camp ended across four

sessions. The questionnaires asked about their age, gender, sexuality, race, religion, how often

they used social media, and their depression symptoms. Using this data, they found that pre-

camp depression symptoms were heavily associated with social media use so much so that pre-

camp use can predict post-camp use depression levels. Researchers can use studies like this in

the future to further evaluate the relationship between social media use and depression among

LGBTQ youth and adults as it is important to identify and treat depression and mental illness.

Gonzales, G., Loret de Mola, E., Gavulic, K. A., McKay, T., & Purcell, C. (2020). Mental

Health Needs Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender College Students During

the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Adolescent Health, 67(5), 645–648.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.08.006
 COVID-19 changed the lives of many during the pandemic and made many realize what

contact they missed and needed when in isolation. The Journal of Adolescent Health addressed

how LGBT college student’s mental health needs were affected during the pandemic. Using

qualitative methods, they recruited LGBT college students across 254 campuses aged 18-25 from

varying backgrounds and races to fill out an online survey that asked questions regarding their

mental health during the pandemic in addition as well as asking about factors that might

influence their mental distress. These factors included the ability to receive mental health

support, how their lives were disrupted by the pandemic, and if they had support for their identity

as an LGBT individual. The study found that many of the LGBT students were unable to receive

mental health support due to a variety of reasons due to financials or the stay-at-home orders and

many also did not have supportive family members. Using this information can be important as it

can provide a point of view on how LGBT individuals can be affected if they don’t have access

to mental health support online or offline during events like the pandemic. While it was not

specified in the study additional research could be conducted to evaluate if these students

received support from online platforms or through social media.

McInroy, L. B., McCloskey, R. J., Craig, S. L., & Eaton, A. D. (2019). LGBTQ+ Youths’

Community Engagement and Resource Seeking Online versus Offline. Journal of

Technology in Human Services, 37(4), 315–333.

https://doi.org/10.1080/15228835.2019.1617823

Individuals and youths who identify as LGBTQ are at a higher risk for negative mental

health issues. While not a lot of research is done regarding their engagement within their

communities how do we gather information on what resources are available to them online, what

resources they use, and if LGBTQ youth prefer to use online or offline resources? A study
conducted by McInroy et al. aimed to answer this question using a mixed methods approach. In

their survey of 6,309 LGBTQ-identifying youth and young adults in Canada and the United

States, they asked respondents about their engagement with online technology and social media

platforms, their mental and physical health, and both their identity development and involvement

within the community. These topics were presented through varying forms of question types

involving scales, closed-choice, and open-ended questions. The results of the survey concluded

that LGBTQ youth tended to use social media several times a day and that they felt safer and had

more support in online communities than offline communities. The results also showed that

youth tended to gather their resources via the Internet as well as social support. Lastly, they

found that opportunities for peer support offline were very limited due to varying factors. With

this information, we can assess what resources are already present and offer more LGBTQ

mental health and support resources online.

Lucassen, M., Samra, R., Iacovides, I., Fleming, T., Shepherd, M., Stasiak, K., & Wallace, L.

(2018). How LGBT+ Young People Use the Internet about Their Mental Health and

Envisage the Use of e-Therapy: Exploratory Study. JMIR Serious Games, 6(4), e11249–

e11249. https://doi.org/10.2196/11249

Stigmas around mental health already make accessing mental health services challenging.

However, LGBT-identifying youth have an even more difficult time accessing these resources

due to isolation and stigmas regarding both sexuality and mental health. This study conducted by

Lucassen et al. wanted to uncover why and how LGBT youth use the internet to support their

mental health needs as well as explore how LGBT youth and professionals viewed e-therapies.

Using qualitative methods, they gathered participants to participate in focus groups by assessing

if they identified as LGBT or were parents of LGBT youth. In these focus groups, they asked
questions regarding the main reasons why LGBT use the Internet, and what ways a specific form

of e-therapy should be adapted in the UK to meet the needs of LGBT-identifying youth. After

the study, they collected demographic information on their participants regarding age, gender

identity, sexuality, and ethnicity. They found that most responses concluded that the internet is

influential and has helped shape them as they grow up. However, those who did not have ready

access to the internet identified that while the internet had many important resources such as

counseling or suicide helpline, they also felt like calling these resources is a lot of effort which

leads to people not using them as much. Many also stated that the internet is unhealthy and

unhelpful due to the stigmas associated with mental health, self-harm, and eating disorders as

well as the increased risk of security issues. Many in the focus group also stated the benefits and

tools that can be gathered from online such as developing connections with like-minded peers

and obtaining various forms of readily available information. Overall, this information can help

us in further research by allowing us to identify stigmas and other issues that prevent LGBT

youth and parents from accessing important resources online for themselves or their children.

Pachankis, J. E., Clark, K. A., Jackson, S. D., Pereira, K., & Levine, D. (2021). Current capacity

and future implementation of mental health services in U.S. LGBTQ Community Centers.

Psychiatric Services, 72(6), 669–676. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ps.202000575

Community centers that are geared toward LGBTQ play a key role in supporting their

mental health and help by offering opportunities to address unmet mental health needs. However,

one question stands, what types of mental health services are currently being offered to LGBTQ

youth in these community centers and how do these services change based on future needs? A

study in the Journal of Psychiatric Services conducted by Pachankis et al. aimed to answer this
question. Using mixed methods, they sent out surveys to six executive directors and officers at

LGBTQ community centers throughout the United States. In this survey, they assessed the

number of readily available staff and their qualifications, how their mental health services are

formatted, and their training needs. They found that many of the centers had few mental health

staff and that the needs of the community outweighed the resources that they had. Many of these

centers also reported that they would like to receive training in evidence-based approaches, and

they reported that they mainly provide general evidence-based care. With this information as

researchers, we can see that there is a high need within the LGBTQ community for these centers

however, these centers have few resources, small numbers of staff, and a desire for new forms of

training. With this in mind, we can ask two questions in further research what percentage of the

LGBTQ community does not have access to these resources due to cost, insurance, or even

location, and if these services are offered to LGBTQ through online platforms can we help solve

the problem of staffing, training, and available resources by partnering and compiling resources

across the nation? If therapists and doctors can offer their services through online platforms, can

these community centers be set up online to offer theirs to a broader range of LGBTQ

individuals?

Wright, P. J., & McKinley, C. J. (2010). Mental Health Resources for LGBT Collegians: A

content analysis of college counseling center websites. Journal of Homosexuality, 58(1),

138–147. https://doi.org/10.1080/00918369.2011.533632

College can already be a stressful time for young adults and can impact their mental

health needs, but what about the mental health needs of LGBT collegians, what resources are

available for them? A study conducted by Wright and McKinley in the Journal of Homosexuality

aimed to answer the question of to what degree college counseling centers websites offer and
refer services to LGBT collegians. Using qualitative methods Wright and McKinley used the

National Center for Educational Statistics website to gather the population of colleges within the

United States. They narrowed down their sample to both public and private four-year colleges

that offered bachelor's degrees. From there they were classified by state and the percentage they

contributed as a public or private institution. With this information, they set out to identify what

types of outreach they supplied for mental health services for LGBTQ on campus (informational,

counseling services, online services, and outreach). They found that while LGBT students are at

risk for harassment and violence from other students and communities, few counseling centers

offered individual or group counseling for LGBT students on campus, and 15.8% of institutions

offered a link to informational sites for LGBT collegians. While this study was conducted 12

years ago and colleges and universities have come a long way with LGBT involvement and

online resources, it is still fairly recent. In future studies, we can determine what has changed in

how universities offer resources to LGBT students and how the evolution of technology has

impacted the amount of readily available online resources.

Jabson Tree, J. M., & Patterson, J. G. (2019). A Test of Feasibility and Acceptability of Online

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Women and Men at

Risk for High Stress: Pilot Study. JMIR Mental Health, 6(8), e15048–e15048.

https://doi.org/10.2196/15048

In conservative and rural locations where laws that aid in preventing discrimination have yet to

be established, LGB individuals are at an increased risk of experiencing higher levels of stress

that arise from discrimination events. A journal in JMIR Mental Health aimed at identifying the

practicability and acceptability of providing online mindfulness techniques to help reduce levels

of stress among LGB-identifying individuals. Using qualitative methods within their pilot studies
they gathered participants through convenience and snowball sampling. The requirements for

their sample were that they must live in Appalachian east Tennessee, a predominantly

heterosexist and conservative location, identify as LGB, have internet access, and be ages 18 and

older. In an eight-week program, participants were able to log in every week to the Online

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program (OMBSR) to access intervention content and

related activities. This consisted of videos and accessible readings on the impact of mindfulness

and how to apply mindfulness to their experiences. Additionally, physical activities included

guided meditations and applying principles of mindfulness to their lives. In weekly and end-of-

program check-ins, they measured participants' self-reported experiences, perceived stress, and

activity logs to measure what resources were utilized and to what extent they were beneficial.

They found that while participation in the OMBSR was associated with both a reduction in

perceived and minority stress for women, men only experienced a decrease in perceived stress.

Being able to access programs that provide resources for LGB individuals who normally would

not have access to programs like these is crucial. These programs help decrease the levels of

stress experienced by LGBs through mindfulness techniques. With this topic, there is limited

research completed and, in the future, further research can be completed to assess how additional

mindfulness programs can further assist the mental well-being of LGB in rural/conservative

areas.

Overall, the research that has already been completed on this topic has identified three

main categories, the effects that social media has had on LBGTQ mental health, ways that

LGBTQ identifying individuals use social media, and it has covered some of the resources that

are available to LGBTQ members. The most common factors that social media has on LGBTQ

mental health is that usage can increase rates of depression and psychological stress due to
negative events online such as bullying, harassment, and exclusion (Escobar-Viera, et al., 2018).

Many within the LGBTQ community use social media and various online platforms for a

multitude of reasons. Some of these reasons include identity development, joining support

groups, connecting with peers, gathering knowledge on topics such as relationships, sexual

health, and resources, forming new relationships, or satisfying personal needs (Chan, 2023).

Lastly, while there are various forms of mental health support out in the world, therapy,

support groups, media platform groups, and wellness opportunities, only so many of these

resources are catered to LGBTQ-identifying individuals. Participants in many of these studies

have expressed a desire for more opportunities and resources that are tailored to their LGBTQ

demographics (Tree & Patterson, 2019). With this information in mind, it is important to study

the question of not only how the use of social media affects LGBTQ mental health but also what

resources are available to help LGBTQ mental health.

Method

For my research question of how the use of social media affects LGBTQ mental health

and what resources are available to help LGBTQ mental health, I intend to use qualitative

methods with a phenomenological approach to analyze and understand my data. The goal of my

research question is to understand the behavior and consciousness of LGBTQ individuals when

using social media and using a phenomenological approach to gather and analyze data on

interviews, observations, and documents will help me to understand participants’ behavior.

To gather my data, I will use both audio recordings to record the active conversation that

way I can actively pay attention to the conversation at hand and later look back at the recording

to transcribe them and update any notes after the interviews. Treadwell and Davis state that both
audio and video recordings can save the interviewer from taking notes and allow the interviewer

to focus on the interview or behavior (Treadwell & Davis, pg. 264).

For my interviews, I will conduct semi-structured interviews with open-ended and

leading questions to give both the researcher and participants room to move and further evaluate

responses to questions. I selected to conduct interviews because it allows for a direct question-

answer session where the participants can discuss their individual experiences regarding their

mental health and how it was affected by social media use. I will create an initial small five-

minute survey to gather potential participants' demographic information as well as general

questions concerning their experiences online regarding their sexuality and how it has impacted

their mental health. Links to these surveys will be advertised on various social media platforms

to gather the most diverse range of participants in the United States. The ideal number of

participants to recruit is around 250 and for this study participants should be 18 years or older to

participate.

After analyzing the small survey, participants will be selected if they meet the specific

criteria of identifying as LGBTQ, having had social media impact their mental health in some

way, and if they have searched for or used online resources for their mental health and wellness.

After these selections have been made, I will conduct interviews with participants asking

questions such as ‘What platforms of social media or networking sites do you use?’ and ‘What

impact has social media had on your mental health, if any?’ to further understand how their

usage of social media differs from others. When the interviews are completed, I will transcribe

the interviews and create interview transcripts to look for common themes among participants’

answers.
 To ensure my participant's privacy, any documentation including their names will be

secured and will only be able to be accessed by no one other than myself. I will also assure them

that in papers and any published material, their names will be removed and replaced with

pseudonyms such as “Respondent 1.” Before the interview, I will ask participants’ consent to be

recorded both verbally and through a consent form, and will also inform them that the interview

will take no longer than 25 minutes. After the interview is completed, I will answer any

questions that they might have as well as discuss with them what the purpose of the interview

was and how their responses contribute to the active research.

 References

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Chandler, C. J., Hoffman, B. L., Marshal, M. P., & Primack, B. A. (2018). For Better or
for Worse? A Systematic Review of the Evidence on Social Media Use and Depression
among Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Minorities (Preprint).
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McConnell, E. A., Clifford, A., Korpak, A. K., Phillips, G., & Birkett, M. (2017). Identity,
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COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of Adolescent Health, 67(5), 645–648.
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media use among bisexuals and pansexuals: connection, harassment and mental health.
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e23520–e23520. https://doi.org/10.2196/23520
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Between LGB Sexual Orientation and Depression Mediated by Negative Social Media
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 Appendix A

1. How old are you?

2. What is your ethnicity?

3. What gender do you identify as?

4. What is your sexuality? (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, other).

5. Do you live in a remote/rural area?

6. What platforms of social media or networking sites do you use? (TikTok, Snapchat,

Instagram, Facebook, X, Reddit, Tinder, Bumble, Her, Butterfly, Grinder, etc.).

7. What are the main reasons behind your use of social media and online platforms? (Meet

new people, gain support, access resources, connect with friends/family, other).

8. How would you categorize your experiences online? (Positive, negative, or both).

9. Have you ever experienced negative situations online or offline regarding your sexuality?

Can you describe what happened and how it made you feel?

10. What impact has social media had on your mental health, if any?

11. What are ways that social media has positively or negatively impacted your emotional

wellness?

12. Does your location inhibit your ability to access mental health resources, what ways do

you access these resources?

13. Are you able to easily access mental health resources in your area, why or why not?

14. Do you feel supported by your community regarding your sexuality, why or why not?

15. What methods of wellness do you practice to better your mental health?

16. Are you more likely to search for mental health resources online or offline, why?

17. How does your mental health compare when you are online versus when you are offline?