The training goal of this career development grant is to become an independent scientific investigator contributing to the understanding of the social processes through which gay and bisexual male adolescents and emerging adults (GBMAEA) develop a range of health disparities, including HIV/AIDS, depression, and substance use. These processes require investigation in order to inform the development of multilevel and structural interventions to eliminate these disparities. In order to achieve these goals, I propose to develop and apply skills in the areas of adolescent development, psychosocial scale development and validation, latent class analysis and mixed models. Dr. Gary Harper will oversee my professional development under this proposal. In addition to supervising my progress through the proposed research and training plan, Dr. Harper will supervise my training in two areas of skill development: qualitative data analysis methods and adolescent development theories and applications. Dr. Isa Fernandez will act as a co-mentor and senior methodologist working with me on secondary data analysis, sampling and recruitment methods and supervision of my grantsmanship and R01 proposal development. Dr. Richard Campbell will act as a co-mentor and supervise my training in statistical methods, including psychosocial scale validation, item response analysis, latent class analysis, and mixed models. Dr. Ron Stall will act as a co- mentor and supervise my training in developing and testing a model of syndemic production of HIV/AIDS and health disparities. The goal of the proposed research is to empirically test a model of syndemic production of negative health outcomes among GBMAEA, and to investigate possible resiliencies among this population that are associated with positive health outcomes. I will assess (a) how these male adolescents and emerging adults perceive, experience and internalize gay-related stigma, (b) how sexual identity development is correlated with the perception, experience, and internalization of gay-related stigma, (c) to what degree these stigma processes and sexual identity development are associated to a range of health risk indicators, and (d) to what degree perceived social support moderates the effects of stigma and sexual identity development on health behaviors. This application supports the mission of the National Institute of Mental Health by producing data on sexual identity development trajectories, gay-related stigma, and health behaviors of GBMAEA that will help inform the development of theoretically sound multi-level and structural interventions in the future to address HIV/AIDS and health disparities among this population.

Public Health Relevance

In the U.S., men who have sex with men are affected by marked health disparities, including elevated rates of HIV infection, substance use, and depression, that may be syndemically produced as responses to marginalization during adolescence. The research component of this career development grant will develop and test a syndemic model among gay and bisexual male adolescents and emerging adults (GBMAEA). This application supports the mission of the National Institute of Mental Health by producing data on sexual identity development trajectories, gay-related stigma, and health behaviors of GBMAEA that will help inform the development of theoretically sound multi-level and structural interventions in the future to address HIV/AIDS and health disparities among this population.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Scientist Development Award - Research & Training (K01)
Project #
5K01MH089838-04
Application #
8444664
Study Section
Behavioral and Social Science Approaches to Preventing HIV/AIDS Study Section (BSPH)
Program Officer
Kamath, Susannah M Allison
Project Start
2010-07-01
Project End
2014-08-31
Budget Start
2013-04-01
Budget End
2014-08-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$91,053
Indirect Cost
$6,576
Name
De Paul University
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
045694130
City
Chicago
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
60604
Bruce, Douglas; Kahana, Shoshana Y; Bauermeister, Jose A et al. (2015) Neighborhood-level and individual-level correlates of cannabis use among young persons living with HIV/AIDS. Drug Alcohol Depend 151:173-80
Bruce, Douglas; Harper, Gary W; Bauermeister, Jose A (2015) MINORITY STRESS, POSITIVE IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT, AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS: IMPLICATIONS FOR RESILIENCE AMONG SEXUAL MINORITY MALE YOUTH. Psychol Sex Orientat Gend Divers 2:287-296
Bruce, Douglas; Stall, Ron; Fata, Aimee et al. (2014) Modeling minority stress effects on homelessness and health disparities among young men who have sex with men. J Urban Health 91:568-80
Bruce, Douglas; Harper, Gary W; Fernandez, M Isabel et al. (2013) HEAVY MARIJUANA USE AMONG GAY AND BISEXUAL MALE EMERGING ADULTS LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS. J HIV AIDS Soc Serv 12:26-48
Bruce, Douglas; Harper, Gary W; Suleta, Katie et al. (2013) Sexual risk behavior and risk reduction beliefs among HIV-positive young men who have sex with men. AIDS Behav 17:1515-23
Bruce, Douglas; Kahana, Shoshana; Harper, Gary W et al. (2013) Alcohol use predicts sexual risk behavior with HIV-negative or partners of unknown status among young HIV-positive men who have sex with men. AIDS Care 25:559-65
Bruce, Douglas; Harper, Gary W; Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN) (2012) FUTURE LIFE GOALS OF HIV-POSITIVE GAY AND BISEXUAL MALE EMERGING ADULTS. J Adolesc Res 27:449-470
Bruce, Douglas; Harper, Gary W; Fernández, M Isabel et al. (2012) Age-concordant and age-discordant sexual behavior among gay and bisexual male adolescents. Arch Sex Behav 41:441-8
Bruce, Douglas; Harper, Gary W; Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (2011) Operating without a safety net: gay male adolescents and emerging adults' experiences of marginalization and migration, and implications for theory of syndemic production of health disparities. Health Educ Behav 38:367-78