Preliminary Findings From Mapping Q: An Arts-Based Suicide Prevention Program for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth experience high levels of compromised mental health and suicidality compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Yet, few empirically evaluated interventions to lessen or eliminate these disparities exist for SGM youth populations. The purpose of this study was to examine the preliminary effectiveness of an arts-based suicide prevention program, Mapping Q, for SGM youth living in a large city in the Southwestern United States. Participants included 20 SGM youth between the ages of 13–24 years old. Participants completed a pretest survey during the initial week of Mapping Q and a posttest in the final sessions (Weeks 8–10). Analyses revealed a significant decrease in thwarted belongingness and depressive symptoms from pre- to posttest. No significant differences emerged for perceived burdensomeness or anxiety symptoms from pre- to posttest; however, the effect size observed for perceived burdensomeness suggests that there may be a plausible reduction in this risk factor for suicidality with larger samples. These findings demonstrate the initial acceptability and effectiveness of Mapping Q in reducing significant risk factors of suicidality among SGM youth. Furthermore, these findings suggest that an arts-based suicide prevention program may be a promising intervention modality for reducing mental health disparities for SGM youth populations.