Tips for research recruitment: The views of sexual minority youth

ABSTRACT

Researchers often experience difficulties recruiting hard-to-reach populations. This is especially so for studies involving those who have been historically stigmatized, such as individuals who challenge heteronormative expectations or people who experience mental ill health. The authors aimed to obtain the views of sexual minority adolescents (n = 25) about what encouraged their participation in a research project. The authors used a general inductive approach to analyze interview data. Feedback consisted of 2 main overarching themes: tips and suggestions for future research and appreciate participants' motivation to get involved in research. Strategies for how recruitment can be optimized for studies involving sexual minority young people are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Bisexual
• gay
• lesbian
• homosexuality
• adolescent
• gender diversity
• mental health
• recruitment

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the participants for their involvement in this study. The authors acknowledge the advisors, youth workers, teachers, health professionals, and school guidance counselors who promoted this research. For financial assistance, M.F.G.L. is grateful for the School of Medicine Foundation Lloyd William Herring Estate PhD scholarship and the University of Auckland Senior Health Research PhD scholarship. Also, the authors thank Dr. Rebecca Jones and Dr. Philippa Waterhouse for their feedback on earlier drafts of this article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mathijs F. G. Lucassen

Mathijs F. G. Lucassen is a Lecturer in the School of Health, Wellbeing and Social Care at The Open University and an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Auckland. His research interests include LGBTQ mental health, bullying prevention strategies, child and adolescent mental health, and e-therapies.

Theresa M. Fleming

Theresa Fleming is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine and Department of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health at the University of Auckland. Her main areas of research interest relate to e-therapies, population youth health, and strategies to improve the mental health of all young people.

Sally N. Merry

Sally Merry is a Professor, the Cure Kids Duke Family Chair in Child and Adolescent Mental Health, and Head of the Department of Psychological Medicine at the University of Auckland. She is also a Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with a research interest in supporting young people traditionally under-served by mental health services.