Abstract
Sexual and gender minority individuals (e.g., gay, bisexual, non-binary, transgender; SGMI) are 2-6 times as likely as cisgender heterosexual individuals to experience alcohol or other substance use disorders. SGMI participate in 12-Step groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), at high rates. Though social support is an established mechanism through which 12-Step programs support reductions in substance use, little is known about SGMI’s experiences of the social support in 12-Step programs. This qualitative study aims to understand the experiences of social and community support among SGMI involved in 12-Step programs. This study employed thematic analysis to interpret open-ended responses from 302 SGMI who had participated in 12-Step programs. Data was from The PRIDE Study, a large, national, online, longitudinal, cohort study of SGMI. Two themes emerged about how SGMI experienced social and community support in 12-Step programs: beneficial connections and harmful environments. Beneficial connections included a sense of community, shared experiences, and skills provision. Harmful environments included marginalization, oppression, violence, and bullying. This study highlights the variability of experiences of SGMI participating in 12-Step programs. These findings suggest that many SGMI may benefit from 12-Step programs but may need support in coping with potential harms that can emerge through participation.
Acknowledgements
The PRIDE Study is a community-engaged research project that serves and is made possible by LGBTQ + community involvement at multiple points in the research process, including the dissemination of findings. We acknowledge the courage and dedication of The PRIDE Study participants for sharing their stories; the careful attention of PRIDEnet Participant Advisory Committee (PAC) members for reviewing and improving every study application; and the enthusiastic engagement of PRIDEnet Ambassadors and Community Partners for bringing thoughtful perspectives as well as promoting enrollment and disseminating findings. For more information, please visit https://pridestudy.org/pridenet.
Disclosure statement
Dr. Juno Obedin-Maliver has the following disclosures, none of which are seen to provide a direct conflict of interest with the work presented here: Sage Therapeutics (5/2017, 1-day advisory board, honorarium), Ibis Reproductive Health (a non-for-profit research group; 3/2017-5/2018, 9/2020-present, worked as a consultant), Hims Inc. (2019 – present, worked as a consultant), Folx Inc. (2019–present, worked as a consultant).
Dr. Lunn has the following disclosures, none of which are seen to provide a direct conflict of interest with the work presented here: Hims Inc. (2019–present, worked as a consultant) and Folx Inc. (2019–2021, worked as a consultant).
Correction Statement
This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.