Evaluation of Teen Connection Project for Trans and Gender Minority Youth

NCT ID: NCT06587139

Last Updated: 2025-11-05

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

56 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2024-07-22

Study Completion Date

2025-06-03

Brief Summary

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The purpose of this project is to develop and evaluate an online mentoring and skill-building program for transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) ages 14 to 18, the Teen Connection Project (TCP). The TCP includes seven 90-minute sessions facilitated by transgender and/or gender minority (TGM) adults (who are also mentors). TGMY will be paired with a TGM adult mentor, based on their shared interests. Mentors and mentees will participate together in each session along with other mentors and mentees. Mentors will direct activities and discussion to promote TGMY social-emotional skills. The TCP sessions will include one-on-one mentor-mentee break-out sessions.

Detailed Description

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Transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) (i.e., any identity other than cisgender) experience concerning rates of mental health problems, self-harm, alcohol and drug use, sexual risk-taking, and violence victimization and perpetration. Minority stress theory states that peer and family rejection and internalized transphobia predict negative health outcomes in TGMY. This highlights the urgent need to identify effective programs that prevent psychosocial and behavioral health issues among TGMY. Mentoring programs may be especially impactful for TGMY, given that these programs may help alleviate adverse outcomes associated with peer and family rejection, and promote self-acceptance among TGMY. However, few mentoring programs exist specifically for TGMY, and those that do have not been rigorously evaluated; often require guardian permission; generally occur in person via community organizations--which excludes TGMY in high stigma, rural areas of the United States from participating; and rarely include evidence-based skill-building components (e.g., social-emotional skills).

The specific aims of this trial are as follow:

1. Assess acceptability and feasibility of the Teen Connection Project (TCP) through observations (to evaluate program delivery and observe mentor-mentee interactions), post-session surveys, and exit interviews with participants.
2. Generate preliminary data on the TCP's efficacy in reducing psychosocial and behavioral health issues facing TGMY, including mental health problems, self-harm, alcohol and drug use, sexual risk-taking, and teen dating violence.
3. Identify treatment options for TGMY.

The purpose of this project is to develop and evaluate an online mentoring and skill-building program for transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) ages 14 to 18, the Teen Connection Project (TCP). The TCP includes seven 90-minute sessions facilitated by transgender and/or gender minority (TGM) adults (who are also mentors). TGMY will be paired with a TGM adult mentors, based on their shared interests. Mentors and mentees will participate together in each session, along with other mentors and mentees. Mentors will direct activities and discussion to promote TGMY social-emotional skills. The TCP sessions will include one-on-one mentor-mentee break-out sessions.

Conditions

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Recreational Drug Use Sexual Violence Victimisation Depressive Symptoms Anxiety Suicidal Ideation Risk-Taking Alcohol Drinking

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) (n=80) are randomly assigned to a treatment (n=40) or wait-list (n=40) control condition.
Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Treatment

The Teen Connection Project (TCP) is theoretically grounded, and follows best practices for effective health behavior prevention. It includes seven 90-minute sessions with group and one-on-one mentoring components. The intervention is facilitated by transgender and/or gender minority adults (i.e., any identity other than cisgender).

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Teen Connection Project (TCP)

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The Teen Connection Project (TCP) includes seven 90-minute sessions facilitated by transgender and/or gender minority (TGM) adults. Each transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) will be paired with a TGM adult mentor based on TGMYs' rank-ordered preference for mentors. The research team seeks to match mentors \& mentees such that each TGMY is matched with one of their top 3 preferred mentors. Mentors and mentees participate together in each session along with other mentors \& mentees. Facilitators direct activities/discussion to promote TGMY social-emotional skills acquisition and facilitate mentor-mentee conversations. TCP sessions also include mentor-mentee breakout sessions where mentors share challenges they personally faced as TGMY and how they overcame them. Break-out discussions focus on self-acceptance, coming out, dating questions, hopes and goals for the future, \& how other marginalized social identities, such as race and ethnicity, intersect with identifying as TGMY.

Waitlist control

Provide check-ins, provide resources, and offer program after intervention and measurement has been completed.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Mentors

Mentors complete a two-day training and post-training survey, facilitate programming, and complete post-session surveys. A subset of the mentors will complete exit interviews.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Teen Connection Project (TCP)

The Teen Connection Project (TCP) includes seven 90-minute sessions facilitated by transgender and/or gender minority (TGM) adults. Each transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) will be paired with a TGM adult mentor based on TGMYs' rank-ordered preference for mentors. The research team seeks to match mentors \& mentees such that each TGMY is matched with one of their top 3 preferred mentors. Mentors and mentees participate together in each session along with other mentors \& mentees. Facilitators direct activities/discussion to promote TGMY social-emotional skills acquisition and facilitate mentor-mentee conversations. TCP sessions also include mentor-mentee breakout sessions where mentors share challenges they personally faced as TGMY and how they overcame them. Break-out discussions focus on self-acceptance, coming out, dating questions, hopes and goals for the future, \& how other marginalized social identities, such as race and ethnicity, intersect with identifying as TGMY.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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TCP

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* identify as transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) (i.e., any identity other than cisgender)
* be between the ages of 14 to 18 years
* read and speak English
* live in the United States
* report consistent access to a phone, tablet, and/or computer with high-speed internet access/Wi-Fi (which represents 90+% of youth in the United States)
* report an ability to attend seven, 90-minute online sessions at pre-determined times
* pass an assent quiz
* report moderate to high levels of internalized transphobia


* be 30 years old or older
* identify as transgender and/or gender minority (i.e., any identity other than cisgender)

Exclusion Criteria

* be at imminent risk for suicide (e.g., intent to kill themselves in the immediate future) as determined by an initial online suicide screening regarding their past month suicide risk (the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised \[SBQ-R\]; modified to assess past month risk)
* demonstrate current psychosis as determined by the Prodromal Questionnaire; modified to just focus on visual and auditory symptoms


• not be currently experiencing substance use disorder or mental health challenges
Minimum Eligible Age

14 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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University of Rhode Island

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

University of Michigan

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Katie M Edwards

Professor, School of Social Work Director, Interpersonal Violence Research Laboratory (IVRL)

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Katie M Edwards, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

University of Michigan

Locations

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[online program, administered by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln]

Lincoln, Nebraska, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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CDC (2023). Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Turchik JA, Garske JP. Measurement of sexual risk taking among college students. Arch Sex Behav. 2009 Dec;38(6):936-48. doi: 10.1007/s10508-008-9388-z. Epub 2008 Jun 19.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 18563548 (View on PubMed)

Rothman EF, Cuevas CA, Mumford EA, Bahrami E, Taylor BG. The Psychometric Properties of the Measure of Adolescent Relationship Harassment and Abuse (MARSHA) With a Nationally Representative Sample of U.S. Youth. J Interpers Violence. 2022 Jun;37(11-12):NP9712-NP9737. doi: 10.1177/0886260520985480. Epub 2021 Jan 5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33399026 (View on PubMed)

Rothman EF, Paruk J, Cuevas CA, Temple JR, Gonzales K. The Development of the Measure of Adolescent Relationship Harassment and Abuse (MARSHA): Input From Black and Multiracial, Latinx, Native American, and LGBTQ+ Youth. J Interpers Violence. 2022 Mar;37(5-6):2126-2149. doi: 10.1177/0886260520936367. Epub 2020 Jul 5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32627640 (View on PubMed)

Dyar C, Messinger AM, Newcomb ME, Byck GR, Dunlap P, Whitton SW. Development and Initial Validation of Three Culturally Sensitive Measures of Intimate Partner Violence for Sexual and Gender Minority Populations. J Interpers Violence. 2021 Aug;36(15-16):NP8824-NP8851. doi: 10.1177/0886260519846856. Epub 2019 May 5.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 31057032 (View on PubMed)

Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Lowe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006 May 22;166(10):1092-7. doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 16717171 (View on PubMed)

Richardson LP, McCauley E, Grossman DC, McCarty CA, Richards J, Russo JE, Rockhill C, Katon W. Evaluation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Item for detecting major depression among adolescents. Pediatrics. 2010 Dec;126(6):1117-23. doi: 10.1542/peds.2010-0852. Epub 2010 Nov 1.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 21041282 (View on PubMed)

van Spijker BA, Batterham PJ, Calear AL, Farrer L, Christensen H, Reynolds J, Kerkhof AJ. The suicidal ideation attributes scale (SIDAS): Community-based validation study of a new scale for the measurement of suicidal ideation. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2014 Aug;44(4):408-19. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12084. Epub 2014 Feb 24.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 24612048 (View on PubMed)

Zhou M, Ee J. Development and validation of the Social Emotional Competence Questionnaire (SECQ). The International Journal of Emotional Education. 2012;4(2):27-42.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Hidalgo MA, Petras H, Chen D, Chodzen G. The Gender Minority Stress and Resilience Measure: Psychometric Validity of an Adolescent Extension. Clin Pract Pediatr Psychol. 2019;7(3):278-290. doi: 10.1037/cpp0000297.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 33224698 (View on PubMed)

Meidlinger, P. C., & Hope, D. A. (2014). Differentiating disclosure and concealment in measurement of outness for sexual minorities: The Nebraska Outness Scale. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1(4), 489.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Riggle, E. D., Mohr, J. J., Rostosky, S. S., Fingerhut, A. W., & Balsam, K. F. (2014). A multifactor lesbian, gay, and bisexual positive identity measure (LGB-PIM). Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1(4), 398.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

University of Connecticut and the Human Rights Campaign. 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Turchik JA, Garske JP. Sexual risk survey. In: Fisher TD, Davis CM, Yarber WL, Davis SL, eds. Handbook of sexuality-related measures. 3rd ed. Routledge; 2010:600-602.

Reference Type BACKGROUND

Tolan PH, McDaniel HL, Richardson M, Arkin N, Augenstern J, DuBois DL. Improving understanding of how mentoring works: Measuring multiple intervention processes. J Community Psychol. 2020 Aug;48(6):2086-2107. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22408. Epub 2020 Jul 11.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 32652575 (View on PubMed)

Keller TE, Drew AL, Herrera C, Clark-Shim H, Spencer R. Do program practices matter for mentors?: How implementation of empirically supported program practices is associated with youth mentoring relationship quality. J Community Psychol. 2023 Nov;51(8):3194-3215. doi: 10.1002/jcop.23019. Epub 2023 Feb 25.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 36840743 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

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23676

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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