Research Thoughts

In reflecting on my McNair journey thus far, pondering my research project has been the forefront of my mind. Being a McNair Scholar comes with a variety of benefits. For me, guidance and exposure to academic research has been the most beneficial thus far. For my research project, I have decided to do a Needs Assessment for services for LGBTQIA+ individuals with increased mental health complications in relation to an unsupportive family and community environment.

Being part of the queer community, and also having a conservative religious family background makes this research topic particularly important to me. Also, my passion for mental health alleviation and my drive to pursue a career in mental health services makes this project all the more important. My research questions are:

- Does growing up in an unsupportive family environment increase the risk for mental health disorders in college and beyond?

- Does growing up in an unsupportive community environment increase the risk for mental health disorders in college and beyond?

- Do services exist that specifically cater to these needs?

My directional research hypothesis is that, yes, increased mental health conditions exist in LGBTQIA+ populations that grew up in households or communities that do not support the individual. My research design is a simple quantitative design using interviews, and my sample size will be 8-10 members of the LGBTQIA+ population found across multiple Midwest college campuses LGBTQIA+ resource centers.

The strengths to using this design include accounting for the complexity of the specific LGBTQIA+ population, providing context for mental health complications, allowing me to see qualities of a shared group experience, and allowing future researchers the ability to identify reoccurring patterns in mental health disorders brought on or increased by a lack of familial or community support. One reoccurring pattern I noticed in my literature review was the lack of formal research pertaining to queer mental health.

Potential implications of my research project could be an identified need for more resources serving LGBTQIA+ individuals, an increase in training and awareness for mental health professionals specific to this study, and greater research availability for a subset group where not much research currently exists. With the guidance of the McNair staff and my faculty advisor, my hope is to successfully answer my research questions and create a base for other research to be done in the future.

Though I have experience in field research from my time in Emergency Management, research in academia has various different components including locating funding, getting approval from supervisory boards, and ensuring all ethical consideration are made with respect to beneficence, respect, and justice. I look forward to sharing my progress with you all as my McNair journey continues!